It's a pasta! No, it's a salad! Or can it be both?

In the case of this easy Greek-inspired chicken dish, that would be a yes. You start by making a basic lemon vinaigrette, to which you add crumbled feta and the meat from a rotisserie chicken (the workhorse of the weeknight kitchen).

Let the flavors meld for a while. You don't need to limit yourself to 15 minutes. If you have time to prep the dish to this stage the night before or morning of, the flavors will only get better. Just be sure to let everything lose the chill before proceeding.

From there, you mix in some halved cherry tomatoes and diced red bell pepper. After that, it's up to you. I like to toss everything with some fresh fettuccine. Adding a bit of the pasta cooking water helps the feta and vinaigrette combine into a delicious sauce.

Or you could simply mound the salad over baby spinach. Or do both. Add the spinach to the pasta about 20 seconds before you drain it to let it just barely wilt. Then proceed with the recipe.

———

GREEK CHICKEN WITH FETTUCCINE

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Salt and ground black pepper

• Meat from a 2- to 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken (about 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken meat)

• 8 ounces feta, cut into small cubes or crumbled

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced

• 12-ounce package fresh fettuccine

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken and feta, then toss lightly to coat. Set aside for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.

Add the tomatoes, oregano and red bell pepper to the chicken and feta, then toss lightly to mix.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and add it to the bowl of chicken. Add the reserved water, then toss until well mixed. Adjust seasonings.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 671 calories; 216 calories from fat; 24 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 200 mg cholesterol; 54 g carbohydrate; 59 g protein; 4 g fiber; 1,060 mg sodium.