pesto pasta salad

In the summer especially pasta salad offers a satisfying one pot meal, although a few pots go into the preparation in this ms ani version. We had some fresh home made pesto sauce left over in the fridge, and whole wheat fusilli on hand which are perfect for a pesto pasta salad, grabbing the sparse sauce nicely and giving a base foundation to inject with lots of flavorful ingredients. We had some wierd Turkish cheese similar to feta brought back from a visit to Ani's sister, a cheese which has to remain nameless since we failed to take notes. The ingredient quantities are very roughly estimated here and of course are all subject to user substitution. However, this lineup was so successful that bob was moved to record it for posterity.

Both room temperature pasta and rice salads are found everywhere in lunch spots in Italy all year round. There is a good reason for this. They are both tasty and nutritious and efficient at getting the job done.

ingredients

1/2 box whole wheat fusilli pasta (about 7-8 oz depending on the box), cooked al dente

1/2 c pesto sauce

2 T olive oil

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/2 red/yellow pepper or several baby peppers, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

4 small chinese eggplants, chopped

1/2 c grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 c chopped olives

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz ciliegine (small balls), quartered, or bocconcini (smallest balls) mozzarella

1/2 c feta chunks

instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions and let cool.
2. Prep the veggies.
3. Heat up some olive oil in a large nonstick pan.
4. Start by sauteeing the onion and peppers until softened
5. Toss in the zucchini and eggplants and cook a while until softened.
6. Toss in the tomatoes and olives. Cook down a bit.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Remove from the heat and let cool 10-15 minutes.
9. Combine the pasta, pesto, veggies and cheeses and mix evenly.
10. Serve!

notes

1. De Cecco whole wheat fusilli seems to be readily available at our local Wegmans supermarket. Only 13.5 oz. Hmm, usually these packages are in 1 lb quantities. [Their website has a few recipes, this one looks intriguing!]
2. Don't oversauce this like most American pasta recipes. A little pesto goes a long way to adding a nice kick to the dish without overwhelming it.
3. Illustrations available.