Chicken, Bacon and Peach Pasta Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

It's that time of year when peaches are plentiful and tasty, especially if you are lucky enough to find Colorado Peaches. The star player in this recipe is "the peach." 

Chicken, Bacon, and Peach Pasta Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing is the perfect summer recipe with its light, sweet, and savory flavors. The recipe was adapted from twopeasandtheirpod and serves four. 

Salad Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups dried pasta; fusilli, orecchiette, or penne
• 2 large peaches, pit removed and chopped (or 3 small peaches)
• 2 cups chopped grilled chicken
• 4 strips of cooked bacon, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cubed white cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup chopped basil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
• 1-1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (use good quality)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

• Cook pasta, rinse, and drain
• Whisk dressing ingredients and set aside.
• Mix salad ingredients together and add enough dressing to moisten the salad. 
• Chill for one hour add more dressing if needed before serving. 

The peach was another "star player" in the recipe Deep Dish Peach Pie. The recipe will be posted tomorrow.