For the Salad Dressing:

• In a small bowl, prepare the Dijon dressing by whisking together Dijon mustard and honey until well combined. Add the apple cider vinegar and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, while whisking continuously to emulsify the dressing. Add blanched mince garlic (see Note 1). Transfer the dressing to a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld together.

Make the Chicken Meatballs:

• In a large mixing bowl, prepare the chicken meatballs by combining chicken mince, breadcrumbs, chives, garlic, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well and roll the mixture into small meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a few minutes.

Make the Pasta Salad and assemble:

• Cook the penne pasta according to the package instructions, drain, and let it cool.
• In a large frying pan, heat half of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Set aside to cool.
• In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled penne pasta, sautéed zucchini, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated olives, and half of the torn basil.
• In the same frying pan used for the zucchini, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Cook the refrigerated chicken meatballs for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. Add chopped tomatoes and cook through. Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour the Dijon dressing over the pasta salad and gently toss to combine all the ingredients well.
• Add the cooked chicken meatballs to the pasta salad and sprinkle with the remaining torn basil.