Chicken Pasta Salad

Recipe courtesy of Suzanne Moore

1 (16-ounce) box penne pasta
1 (10-ounce) package Perdue Short Cuts Oven Roast Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Chicken broth or bouillon cube (optional)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped fine
1 (10-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, chopped fine
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 (7-ounce) tub refrigerated basil pesto
1/4 cup Romano cheese, or to taste
Italian flat leaf parsley, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Boil pasta for shortest amount of time according to package directions. Suzanne adds chicken broth or bouillon to water. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water to stop the cooking process. Pour pasta, chicken and bell peppers in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon over pasta. Mix well. Add pesto and mix well to evenly distribute. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Squeeze remaining lemon juice over pasta and mix well.

This dish is best when refrigerated at least 3 hours to allow flavors to combine.

Serves 4-6.