Garden Pasta Salad With Rotini

This tasty garden pasta salad is loaded with fresh chopped vegetables. The lemony pesto and mayonnaise dressing flavors the salad perfectly. I used rotini in the salad, but feel free to use farfalle, fusilli, or another similar pasta.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta
• 1/2 medium cucumber (peeled and diced)
• 1 cup tomato (diced, seeded)
• 1 (2 1/2-ounce) can sliced ripe olives (drained)
• 1/2 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1/4 cup celery (chopped)
• Optional: 2 tablespoons red onion (finely chopped)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• Optional: 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Cook the rotini pasta in boiling salted water following package directions.
3. Drain in a colander and rinse with cool water.
4. Set the pasta aside to cool completely and then transfer it to a large serving bowl.
5. Toss the cooled rotini pasta with the diced cucumber, tomato, sliced ripe olives, bell pepper, celery, and red onion (if using).
6. In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pesto, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, salt, and parsley, if using.
7. Combine with the pasta and stir gently until blended. Taste and add more salt as needed.
8. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving time.

Recipe Variation

• To make the salad hearty enough to be a main dish, add some diced cooked chicken, cheese cubes or shredded cheese, or cubed leftover ham, roast beef, or turkey.

• 
  Total:30 mins
• Prep:20 mins
• Cook:10 mins
• Yield:4 to 6 Servings