Chicken Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 package linguine pasta , 16 ounce
• 2 skinless , boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 head romaine lettuce , chopped
• 1 green bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 0.5 reds onion , cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 cucumber , sliced - or amount to taste
• 0.67 cups safflower oil
• 0.33 cups cider vinegar
• 0.75 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 4 greens onions , chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat; lightly oil the grill.

2. 2

   Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well.

3. 3

   While pasta is cooking, grill the chicken breast halves until the meat is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, 5 to 8 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chicken breast should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Allow to rest for about 5 minutes, then slice into bite-size pieces; keep warm.

4. 4

   In a large salad bowl, lightly toss together the grilled chicken, hot cooked linguine, romaine, green pepper, red onion, and cucumber.

5. 5

   In a separate bowl, whisk together safflower oil, cider vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, dry mustard powder, and green onions until smooth and evenly blended. Pour the dressing over the salad to serve.