Pasta Salad

Oh boy! Florida sure is getting hot. Please bring back the nice Fall weather that we had in the beginning of the year, since Florida does not have the real genuine winter season. Any who, now it's time to set our chairs beside the pool, locate those bathing suits hidden in the back of our drawers, and dust off our sun hat from the back of the closets. Don't forget the sunscreen! Oh! And the cute sun dress! Well, most Floridians probably done this a month of 2 ago.
Its the perfect time for a day of fun in the sun! Beach Day! Pool parties! Picnics! BBQs! And what better way to pair a hot fun day then with a light and refreshing pasta salad. And not to mention, its yummy! It's quick to put together. No skills required. Just cook, chop, dress, and toss! What's amazing with pasta salad is that there can be no wrong way to make it. You can add what ever you like and how much you like in the salad. Green and red pepper? Sure! Want to add carrots? Go for it! Mushrooms? Why not! Double the cheese? The more the merrier! Want more dressing? Pour away! Omit the broccoli? Its not going to be missed!
Basically it's whatever I have in my refrigerator or what is on sale at my local grocery store. I like using the Tri-Color Rotini pasta because it makes the pasta more appealing The more color, the more eyes (and mouths) it will attract! But my local grocery store ran out of the tri-color, so I had to settle for the regular, boring, plain, one-colored rotini pasta instead. But its ok! It still tastes the same. Grape tomatoes are convenient for this recipe (less messy), but it is not required. Whole tomatoes, chopped, works just as well. The grape tomatoes was on sale so grape tomatoes it was. Some people like to add raw broccoli, but I can't stand the idea of eating raw broccoli. Instead I cooked the broccoli in boiling water then added in the pasta.
Like I mentioned before, this is just a toss together recipe Add what ever you like. You can never go wrong. The light salad dressing, cold pasta, and crisp vegetables are perfect for a hot day. Pair it up with some chicken wings. Ah, summer. Don't you just love it.

Wanna add some protein to this all-carbs-and-vegetable dish? Add in some left over shredded chicken. Or some cubed ham.
1 box (10 oz) rotini pasta, cooked according to the box
1 whole cucumber, cubed
1 U.S. dry pint of grape tomoatoes, halved
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 bag of cubed cheese (6.4 oz, about a cup)
2/3 cup Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette
a pinch or 2 or dried basil
a dash of ground pepper

1. Once pasta is cooked until the tenderness preferred, rinsed, and drained, allow the pasta to cool, about an hour.
2. Place cooled pasta in a large mixing bowl, add dressings, basil, and ground pepper. Combine lightly until pasta is completely coated.
3. Add in vegetables and cheese. Toss lightly.
4. Chill for an hour before serving.


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