Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

I started making this back when I was single and I really wasn't much of a cook. I'm proud to say I've really become a very good cook over the past few years but this is still a favorite.

Friends, coworkers and employees alike would tease me that I could only boil water and honestly when I was in my 20's it was true. But this was the one dish everyone trusted and dare I say...demanded that I make when there was a gathering.

Its really simple and a crowd pleaser. I loved that I never had to take home leftovers!

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

1 box of penne pasta (1lb box) (I use whole wheat now)
2 heads hearts of romaine lettuce
8 oz. crumbled feta cheese
8 - 10 oz cooked chicken breast cut into bite size cubes
1 English Cucumber, cut in half and sliced into bite size (seedless)
2 small packages of grape tomatoes
10-20 leaves of fresh basil cut into thin ribbons (easiest with scissors)
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
1 small bottle of Kens brand Caesar Dressing (only need about 1/2 a bottle)
1 can of pitted black olives or 1 jar kalamata olives pitted optional
6 or 7 peperoncini peppers (greek peppers) to garnish top

cook pasta according to box directions and cool by running cold water.Drain throughly. While pasta boils, chop the veggies and place in large bowl. When pasta is cool, toss with veggies, chicken and cheese. Don'tmix in the dressing until about 20 minutes prior to serving.

Note: This is also good with small cooked tailless shrimp (cocktail or salad shrimp) in place of chicken. Also, I usually use a 4 oz package of tomato basil favored feta and a 4 oz package of plain feta but whatever you like will work