It's Spring! Pasta Salad

It's Spring! Pasta Salad

• 1 box fusilli pasta (preferably whole grain and for fun, multi-colored)
• 1 can chick peas
• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 1 small diced onion
• balsamic dressing (or make your own with olive oil and balsamic vinegar)
• oregano seasoning
• salt and pepper to taste

Out with the cold.  In with the...pasta salad.  Warmer weather calls for certain dishes...and this is one of them.  Pasta salad is synonymous with spring/summertime and with the welcomed, significantly nicer weather lately, I had myself a craving.  When I think of pasta salad, I think of my mom and growing up at our house in New Jersey.  She made the BEST pasta salad (as I'm sure everyone's mom does)...fresh, ripe Jersey tomatoes, perfectly cooked pasta, the crunch of an onion, and a simple dressing.  So good!  Now, while I can never attempt to match her recipe, I like to play around with a few PS dishes of my own.  My absolute favorite thing about pasta salad is that it tends to get better the longer it meshes together in the fridge.

It doesn't get much easier than a pasta salad recipe.  I'll break it down quickly because the description does not need to be unnecessarily verbose.  Cook the pasta.  Put the cooked pasta in a big bowl.  Add the onion, carrots, and chick peas.  If you're using a pre-made dressing, add a little bit, taste it, and add more as you see fit.  If you are making a homemade dressing, it's really easy.  I don't even measure it (if you're into counting calories or anything else, then by all means, measure it out); just add a few splashes of olive oil and stir it in the pasta salad.  Coat the pasta, but for goodness sake, don't drown it.  I'm not a fan of oily food anyway.  Once you have the desired amount, add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar (less than the amount of oil you used).  Careful here because you don't want to overpower it.  You can't take that vinegar back!  Add some seasonings and when it tastes the way you want it, store it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge.

I let mine sit overnight and came home from work a very happy gal.  I completely demolished it!   I'm telling you, let it sit.  Also, if you're not into any of these add-ons in the pasta salad, make up your own! Tomatoes (when in season) are killer ingredients to any pasta salad and fresh, raw, crunchy red or green peppers are awesome in there too! Happy spring eating!