Coconut Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad

I’ve had the best summer of my life and it’s all because of you and the opportunities that this blog has given me and I couldn’t be more grateful. I went to Nashville, Jackson Hole Wyoming, Yellowstone in Montana, A cabin in the woods in Idaho, Cincinnati, Martha’s Vineyard, Lake Champlain in Vermont, Manhattan, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I ate lamb cooked on an open fire, lunch in the middle of a barley farm, jet black ice cream, a street hot dog at 2am, a perfectly crafted Manhattan at thirty thousand feet, and countless lobster rolls, tater tots, and tacos. I somehow found time to write a cookbook. The final tally of different ice cream shops vs. breweries visited for the entire summer was 13 breweries and 12 ice cream shops. I made lots of great new friends at home and away, and strengthened old bonds, even meeting up with a friend I hadn’t seen in over 15 years.

I was thinking about all of this as I sat on the beach a few days ago with a friend eating this pasta salad. Life is crazy. Who knows what’s next. Cheers to Summer 16.

The night before you want to eat it, cook the pasta and pour on the sauce while it is still hot.

Then stir in the cabbage and broccoli immediately to allow it to wilt and cook slightly in the hot pasta. The chicken goes in now too.

The next day stir in cilantro, basil, and scallions.  This photo looks like it is cooking in a pan but I am just using the pan as a mixing bowl.

Distribute to to-go containers.

.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Coconut Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad

Coconut milk, thai chile paste, and lots of herbs make this seemingly standard chicken and broccoli pasta salad into something new refreshing and delicious.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

resting time1 day d

Total Time1 day d 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian, Thai

Keyword: Mash-Up, pasta, Spicy

Servings: 5 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound linguini
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons sambol garlic chile paste
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 5 limes plus more
• 1/2 head purple cabbage thinly sliced
• 1 small head broccoli chopped small
• 1 large chicken breast cooked with salt and pepper and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 bunch chopped scallion
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

• The night before, cook the pasta and strain. Immediately mix in a bowl with the coconut milk, soy sauce, sambol, sesame oil, and the juice from the limes.
• Add the cabbage and broccoli and stir to combine.
• Add in the chicken and stir. Cover and put in the fridge overnight.
• Add the herbs and peanuts. You will notice the coconut milk has thickened. Add a splash of oil and the juice of a lime to loosen it up as needed.
• Pack and chill until serving.