Chicken-veggie pasta makes one winning combination

Alicia's daughter Hannah requested this "Pre-Race Pasta" before her first triathlon because it's easy to digest and great for night-before carbo-loading.

If you happen to have triathletes in the house, you probably already know the lingo. But even if the only "tri" you do is shopping, cooking and cleaning, today's recipe is a winning combination of chicken (lean protein), fresh vegetables (vitamins and nutrients) and pasta (crucial carbs).

While our recipes usually call for extra-virgin olive oil, this dish uses extra-light olive oil for the delicate flavor it provides. And while we've specified starting with raw chicken, you can speed up the prep time by subbing out already grilled chicken strips from the supermarket prepared-meat section.

Since today's pasta dish is equally delicious when served at room temperature, "doing ahead" adds flexibility if you happen to be serving a crowd or waiting for the athletes to return after the final workout.

Suggested menu: Pre-Race Chicken-Veggie Pasta with breadsticks and sliced fruit.

• Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross have been living desperate lives for years. Contact them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016, or tellus@kitchenscoop.com. Or visit them on the Web at kitchenscoop.com.