Garden Pasta Salad

HOT this week. Icky, humid hotness. The kind of hot that makes me want to bar the doors and pretend "outside" doesn't exist for awhile. Try telling that to a 20 month old.

If you know me, you know I don't do hot well. Even making our way to the pool is challenging this week. Is it bad that I'm crabby 5 minutes into the mission?

Picture me laden like a pack mule and herding three arguing children across steaming, black asphalt. Oh, and we're hurrying too. For some unknown reason, there are exactly 6 chairs in the shade for the 8,000 people who will show up on hot summer days. If you aren't first in line when the pool opens, you're frying all afternoon. After everyone is slathered with sun screen and goggles are adjusted, I have about 9 (sweaty) minutes of peace until they wander back wondering what I brought to eat.

And the cycle continues for about 5 hours...until we have to go home cause we ran out of snacks.

Needless to say, I don't feel like cooking when we get home. So ideally I have something like this already prepped in the fridge. It's light and refreshing, not to mention delicious. AND has enough vegetables to cancel out the "fruit snack frenzy" of 3:00 that afternoon. Don't be afraid of the mayo...the yogurt totally cuts the heaviness of it. Black olives will work in a pinch, but the kalamata ones are so worth the extra cost. The veggies in the recipe are a place to start. I often use whatever I have on hand.

Enjoy. And stay cool.

~Erin

Garden Pasta Salad

Author: Erin (adapted from eatingwell.com)

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Dressing


• 1/3 c. mayonnaise


• 1/3 c. plain yogurt


• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 T. red-wine vinegar, or lemon juice


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/8 tsp. salt


• Ground pepper, to taste


• Salad


• 2 c. cooked rotini noodles


• 1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved


• 1 c. diced (any color) bell pepper


• 1 c. grated carrots


• 1/2 c. chopped scallions


• 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives


• 1/3 c. slivered fresh basil

Instructions

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients.


2. Toss cooked pasta, vegetables, and dressing together.


3. Serve, or cover and refrigerate.

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