Recipe Tuesday: Italian Chicken with Rotini Pasta and Easy Fruit Salad

Italian Chicken With Rotini Pasta:

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken cutlets
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1/4 cup white wine
12 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
1 (26-ounce) jar tomato/basil pasta sauce

1. Fill large saucepan half full of water. Cover and bring to a boil on high for pasta.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Season both sides of chicken with seasoned salt and Italian seasoning (wash hands). Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken (wash hands); cook 2–3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
3. Stir pasta into boiling water. Boil 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender.
4. Add roasted garlic and wine to chicken; cook 3–5 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
5. Meanwhile, drain pasta and return to same pan. Stir in pasta sauce; cook on medium-high 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thoroughly heated. Serve chicken over pasta.

Easy Fruit Salad:

Ingredients:
1 pear (rinsed)
1 (8-ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice (drained)
1/2 cup pre-diced celery
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or salad dressing)
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
4 Bibb lettuce leaves (rinsed)

1. Quarter pear; remove and discard core. Chop pear into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup); place in medium bowl.
2. Add pineapple and celery; stir in mayonnaise and 1/3 cup of the walnuts. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves on serving plates; mound fruit mixture on lettuce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons walnuts. Serve.

Not much to say about this one...the chicken/pasta dish is really easy. But mayonnaise on fruit? That's nasty. Plus, everyone knows fruit salad must have cherries. WTF, recipe writers?