Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

It's Summer.  There are outdoor concerts, plays, and marathons. And while I'm enjoying all these outdoor shenanigans, I want my buffalo chicken.  Period. And this gorgonzola touched pasta salad with crunchy, spicy buffalo chicken and whatever leftover produce I had sitting in my fridge fits nicely in a tupperware container for where ever you go and whatever you do.  I saw a version of this recipe on The Life and Love's of Grumpy's Honeybunch, and just had to give it a shot. 

So I decided to combine a bunch of recipes - the lime based buffalo sauce, the crunchy chicken from the General Tso Recipe, and the vinegary coating from the chicken salad.  I wound up with dinner and lunch for three days, and I still wanted more!

Adapted from The Life & Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb pasta, cooked
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
4ish leaves of fresh basil, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1/4 cup roasted red pepper, chopped (plus a little of the juice)
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 cups of white vinegar
2 large chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 cup corn starch
1/2 cup lime juice
oil for frying

1. Coat the chicken strips in the corn starch and let sit at room temp for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, scallions, fresh basil, celery, red pepper and gorgonzola.  Mix well.
3. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, and half of the vinegar, and mix well.  Toss it in the fridge to chill while making the chicken.

3.  Heat a large skillet with 1" of oil until it reacts to a flick of water
4. Add the chicken with a pair of tongs, and cook until browned and crispy - you may need to turn a few times.
5. Remove the chicken and let drain on a paper towel
6. Mix the hot sauce, lime and the rest of the vinegar in a bowl
7. Add the chicken back to the pan, add the hot sauce mixture, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes
8. Remove the chicken from the mixture and place strategically on top of the pasta salad.  I find it better on top rather than mixed in.

Questions?  Additions?  Comment below, or email CutsEveryday@gmail.com.