It’s hard to write a post about warm, sunny days ahead. Today we experienced a windy day with the sky turning a nice burnt orange color. These are the days where chap stick stays in your purse and you don’t venture outside unless you have to pick up kids. People in the rest of the State are prepping for heavy rains, hail and possible tornadoes. Yet, I’m sitting here trying to talk about Italian Pasta Salad.

I’m forcing myself to enter that happy place. Nice, warm days with just a nice gentle breeze in the air to keep things comfortable. I’d like to imagine we have company coming over to the house for a BBQ or fajita night and I’m sitting in a lawn chair drinking a nice frosty beer.

Oh, my happy place.

Instead, I’m writing posts, watching the baby monitor’s red dot peak every couple of minutes while he falls asleep, playing the Real Housewives reunion in the background and wishing I had more red wine to drink.

This Italian Pasta Salad is an old recipe that deserved some much needed love again. It really is the perfect side dish for any upcoming BBQ or get together and you can really customize the vegetables to your liking or seasons. This can also be a main meal so don’t feel shy about adding some cooked salmon or chicken to the bowl.

ENJOY ~ Meagan

Italian Pasta Salad

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Ingredients

• 4 cups Rotini noodles
• 1/3 cup Light Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup Newman’s Lite Italian
• 3 cups cooked vegetables chopped (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
• 3/4 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup Green olives stuffed with feta, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook noodles accordingly to box or package.  Drain and pour into a large bowl.  Add in the cooked vegetables and dressings.  Add cherry tomatoes and olives and then season to taste.
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.