Pasta Salad - Vegetarian

So I'm still working on getting use to the idea of posting daily - though sometimes I don't post because I've not cooked something new. Then I think, "Well, I could at least say that."

This pasta salad was given to me in vegetarian form. However, pasta salads can be toyed with so if someone would like to add some cooked chicken to it, I'm sure that would be wonderfully delicious too.

This was given to me by a friend and it makes a large amount. I would plan to share with others or expect to eat a lot of it throughout the week.

Lactose Intolerant: Though yummy, I think you can leave off the cheese and still have something enjoyable.

Pasta Salad (ingredients and directions are together)

Vinaigrette:
1 c olive oil
4 T Balsamic vinegar
2 T dried basil
1 t fresh oregano
1 t salt
3 minced garlic cloves

Put all ingredients in blender and pulse on high.

Marinade overnight:
Vinaigrette
1 lb cooked pasta (shell or spiral)*
2 T parsley
3 cloves garlic (chopped)

Add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, artichoke hearts (optional), and 1/2 lb grated cheese (mozzarella). ** Serve cold.

* I couldn't figure out how much dry I needed to make a pound cooked. I found something that said four cups of elbow macaroni made a pound cooked. I used this with my shells. It made a whole lot of pasta salad and I think spread the vinaigrette, which is quite tasty, too thin. I would recommend 3 cups of dry, small shells or spirals.

** Here is where you can be a little creative. Cold, cooked chicken might go well here. Because our family doesn't like tomatoes, we used green olives and it complimented the overall taste. The artichoke hearts are excellent as well, so I recommend them along with the cucumbers and cheese.