Mom's Basil-Garlic Chicken Pasta Salad

My mom originally found this recipe in a magazine somewhere when I was in high school. We've both added to it and adapted it.

Ingredients:

one pound rotelli pasta

one pound boneless skinless white meat chicken, cut into one-inch chunks

six cloves garlic (or more, to taste), diced

one large sweet onion, diced

large handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded

one or two tablespoonfuls of bottled lemon juice (or all the juice from one small lemon)

2-3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil

two or three cups of assorted fresh (or defrosted frozen) vegetables

small handful of whole fresh basil leaves

Combine the chicken, garlic, onion, shredded basil, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large glass bowl. Allow to sit in the refrigerator while the pasta cooks; can be left in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours if necessary.

Put an eight-quart pot of water on to boil. Add a dash of olive oil to the water. When it comes to a boil, add the rotelli and cook according to package directions. When finished, drain in a colander and run cold water over the noodles to stop cooking. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil to keep from sticking, leave in colander.

Put a *dry* large frying pan or wok on to heat over high flame. When hot, turn the flame down to low and add the chicken mixture. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the chicken is completely white and the onions are soft.

In a large *clean* bowl, mix together the noodles, chicken, and vegetables. May be served hot immediately, or cold after being refrigerated overnight. Garnish with the fresh basil leaves.

Some vegetable suggestions:

fresh or frozen (defrosted) peas

diced baby carrots

diced or shredded celery

fresh or frozen (defrosted) broccoli florets

fresh or frozen (defrosted) 1-inch pieces of green beans

diced bell pepper (I don't use this)

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