Easy Italian-Style Farfalle Salad

I use a good quality bottled salad dressing for this salad. Three of my favorites are Newman’s Own Greek Vinaigrette Dressing, Newman’s Own Parmesan & Roasted Garlic Dressing and Farmer Boy’s House Recipe Greek Salad Dressing. They are all excellent and I can find each at my local supermarket.

Ingredients:

1 pound farfalle pasta
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup frozen sweet peas
1 1/4 cups Italian or Greek salad dressing of your choice.
1 red bell pepper, sliced in thin 1-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced in thin 1-inch strips
3 or 4 scallions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
Grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. During the last minute of cooking, add the broccoli and frozen peas to blanch. Drain and put in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of the salad dressing on the hot pasta and vegetables and toss. This allows the dressing to really permeate the pasta and gives it a lot of extra flavor. Put the pasta mixture in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.

2. When chilled, remove from the fridge and add the peppers, scallions, basil, parsley and mint. Add the remaining 1 cup of salad dressing and toss well. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Serves 4 as a main dish and 6 as a side.