Chicken-tortellini-tomato salad

Prep: 45 minutes Marinate: 8 hours

Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 6 to 8 servings

Marinating the chicken in a tahini-olive oil marinade helps it stay juicy as it cooks. For extra insurance, we’ve chosen boneless, skinless thighs, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work too. Or shave a cooking step and use about 2 cups of diced leftover cooked chicken. This salad holds well, but save the parsley garnish until just before serving.

¼ cup tahini

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons water

3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 package (7 to 12 ounces) dried tricolor or regular cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions, drained

4 green onions, green and white parts, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 cup diced tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Dressing:

4 large Roma-type tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

2 green onions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled

Salt and pepper

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1. Make the marinade by stirring together the tahini, olive oil, water and garlic in a bowl, or blend in a zip-close bag. Add the chicken, turning to coat all sides; refrigerate, 8 to 12 hours.

2. At cooking time, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. On an oiled grill grate or in a heavy nonstick grill pan, cook the chicken over medium-high heat until it’s cooked through, turning to avoid burning, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a clean plate; set aside until cool enough to handle. When cool, cut the chicken into 1/2-inch dice; place in a large bowl.

3. Add the tortellini, green onions, celery, tomatoes and walnuts, if using.

4. Make the dressing: Place tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic, lemon juice, green onions and garlic in a blender or food processor. Whiz until the mixture is smooth. Makes: 2 1/4 cups.

5. Pour ½ to ¾ cup dressing over the chicken mixture. (Save the remainder for other salads or as a marinade.) Stir to combine, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl; garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Nutrition information per serving (for 8 servings, with ¾ cup

dressing): 257 calories, 12 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 91 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrates, 2 g sugar, 19 g protein, 394 mg sodium, 1 g fiber