Pasta salad and barbecued chicken are a natural pairing for July Fourth celebrations. They’re even better in the same dish.

This fast and easy take on pasta salad starts with a traditional base of pasta and diced vegetables. It is tossed with sour cream.

The sour cream is the perfect foil for the vinegary chicken that is added to the salad. The meat from a rotisserie chicken is tossed with bottled barbecue sauce spiked with lime juice and hot sauce.

The result is creamy, sharp, soft and crunchy.

If you already are at the grill, you could skip the rotisserie chicken and cook a few chicken breasts. You’ll need about 1 pound of cooked chicken meat.

Barbecue chicken pasta salad with lime and sour cream

1pound bow tie or spiral pasta

2cups frozen peas

1cup frozen corn kernels

121/2-pound rotisserie chicken

11/2cups barbecue sauce

1teaspoon hot sauce

2tablespoons lime juice

1/2cup sour cream

2stalks celery, diced

1medium red onion, diced

1medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

4tomatillos, chopped

1/4cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. During the final 2 minutes, add the peas and corn, stirring to ensure they don’t clump together.

Drain the pasta mixture, rinsing it with cool water, then transfer it to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread it in an even layer to dry.

Meanwhile, pull apart the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones. Chop any large pieces into bite-size chunks. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, hot sauce and lime juice. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

In a second large bowl, combine the sour cream, pasta and vegetable mixture, celery, red onion, carrot and tomatillos. Toss well to coat. Fold in the chicken and cilantro, mixing until just combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Makes 12 srvings. Per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 278 calories; 23 calories from fat; 3 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 3 g fiber; 882 mg sodium.