Roasted Red Pepper Crispy Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 300 g Romaine lettuce (Chopped)
• 200 g Bowtie pasta (Weighed dry/raw)
• 1 lb Chicken breast (Weighed raw; season with blackened seasoning or seasoning of choice)
• 150 g Yellow bell pepper (Chopped)
• 150 g Orange bell pepper (Chopped)
• 150 g Grape tomatoes (Halved or chopped)
• 20 g Grated Parmesan cheese (For seasoning the crispy pasta)
• 1 tsp Sea salt (For the crispy pasta seasoning)
• 1 tsp Garlic powder (For the crispy pasta seasoning)
• 1 tsp Paprika (For the crispy pasta seasoning)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper (For the crispy pasta seasoning)
• Avocado oil cooking spray (Use to coat the peppers and pasta; the author counted approximately 2 g fat for cooking sprays in the total recipe)
• 2 Roasted red bell peppers (Approximately 300 g edible pepper; roast before blending, then remove stems and seeds)
• 120 g Fat-free feta cheese (For the roasted red pepper sauce)
• 120 g 2% cottage cheese (For the roasted red pepper sauce)
• 4 Garlic (Cloves, minced)
• 15 g Honey (For the sauce)
• 8 g Nutritional yeast (For the sauce)
• 1 tsp Sea salt (For the roasted red pepper sauce)
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper (For the roasted red pepper sauce)
• 0.25 tsp Red pepper flakes (For the roasted red pepper sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the air fryer to 400°F (200°C). Lightly coat the two red bell peppers with olive oil or avocado oil cooking spray.

2. 2

   Air-fry the red bell peppers at 400°F for 10 minutes, turning or shaking as needed, until softened and lightly blistered.

3. 3

   Remove the peppers from the air fryer. Once cool enough to handle, remove the stems and seeds, then place the pepper flesh directly in a blender.

4. 4

   Add the fat-free feta, 2% cottage cheese, minced garlic, honey, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set the sauce aside.

5. 5

   Cook the bowtie pasta in salted boiling water until 1–2 minutes short of al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking.

6. 6

   Pat the pasta thoroughly dry with towels. Removing excess moisture is important for achieving crisp edges in the air fryer.

7. 7

   Coat the dried pasta lightly with avocado oil cooking spray. Add the Parmesan, sea salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper, and toss until the pasta is evenly coated.

8. 8

   Spread the seasoned pasta in the air-fryer basket in as even a layer as possible. Air-fry at 400°F for 10–14 minutes, shaking every 3–4 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.

9. 9

   Transfer the crispy pasta to a plate or tray and let it cool completely so it remains crunchy.

10. 10

    Season the raw chicken breast with blackened seasoning or another seasoning of your choice. Air-fry at 400°F for 9–10 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C).

11. 11

    Let the chicken rest briefly, then dice it into bite-size pieces.

12. 12

    Add the chopped romaine, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, grape tomatoes, diced chicken, and roasted red pepper sauce to a large bowl.

13. 13

    Toss until the vegetables and chicken are evenly coated with the sauce.

14. 14

    Divide the salad among four servings. Top each serving with one-quarter of the cooled crispy pasta immediately before eating.

Notes

For meal prep, store the crispy pasta in separate containers or zip-top bags and add it immediately before serving to prevent it from becoming soggy. The stated nutrition is approximately 468 calories, 58 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, and 46 g protein per serving, including the author's estimated cooking-spray fat.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• salad
• meal prep
• high-protein
• air-fried
• crispy
• chicken
• quick lunch