I would have sworn I had more pictures, such as ones of the roasted garlic or the mixing, but I can't find them.  Oh, well.  Continuing on the Pinterest kick, I found made this recipe, which lasted about 6-8 meals.  Drew didn't eat any of it, which is why I'm sure it stretched a little further.  I would and did tweak it for future use, and that'll be discussed in the notes section. 

I do recommend this recipe for anyone who likes pasta salads and pre-made lunch items.  With a little preparation can come a big payoff, and this recipe proves that.  It's also budget conscious.  It's easy and relatively quick, so why not? 

I'm posting this recipe as I made it.  Click on the recipe title for the original recipe. 

Roasted Garlic Pasta Salad
from Budget Bytes

1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1- 5 oz container of spinach or arugula (or a mix)
12 oz. seashell or oricchette pasta
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1- 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 head garlic, roasted
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tb. basil, shredded. 

Roast the garlic in the oven if you haven't already done so.  The link "garlic, roasted" above will show you how to do that.  While the garlic is roasting, it's a good time to cook and cool/cube your chicken.

As the garlic cools and the chicken is now prepped, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Generously salt it and add the pasta, cooking until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

While pasta cooks, pop the garlic cloves out of their papery shells and mince them.  Place the garlic, along with the ricotta cheese, pepper, and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and stir until smooth. 

Turn off the burner, drain pasta and return it to the pot.  Add the chicken, spinach, ricotta, and tomatoes and stir to combine.  Now add your parmesan cheese and basil and stir well. 

Serve warm or cool.


Cook's Notes

• I would likely decrease the pasta to 1/2 lb.  I just felt that the ratio of other ingredients to pasta was a bit off.  That does, however, stretch it.  You decide!
• To beef it up, I'd add another chicken breast.