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. But instead of mayonnaise, which can be cloying, it is tossed with sour cream. Low-fat versions would be fine, but regular is best for unbeatable creamy richness.

The sour cream is the perfect foil for the vinegary chicken that gets tossed into 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 just toss on a few chicken breasts. You'll need about 1 pound of cooked chicken meat.

BARBECUE CHICKEN PASTA SALAD WITH LIME AND SOUR CREAM

1 pound bow tie or spiral pasta

2 cups frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn kernels

One 2 1/2-pound rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 cup sour cream

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium red onion, diced

1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks

4 tomatillos, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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

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

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

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

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

Serve immediately or refrigerate. Serves 12.