Yummy Pasta Salad

With all the yummy fresh food in my house, this seems to be turning in to a food blog.

This is a bruschetta inspired, cold pasta salad. (I made it up all by myself!)


Ingredients

Mixed Vegetable Pasta (embarrassingly named Wacky Mac)
Tomatoes (Grandma & Grandpa's garden)
Fresh Basil (My garden)
Homemade Ricotta (see August 6, 2008)
Fresh Green Onion (Grandma & Grandpa)
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

(Amount of each item should be determined by your own tastes. For example, I went light on the tomatoes because my husband does not like them. Next time I make it I will add much more.)

Start by mixing the ricotta & green onions, then refrigerate.
Boil pasta to desired firmness. Add cold water to chill. Set aside.
Cut tomatoes into medium-sized pieces.
Cut basil into strips.
Mix chilled pasta, tomatoes and basil in a bowl.
Remove cheese and onion mixture from fridge. Use 2 small spoons to form nice looking clumps of cheese.
Lay cheese on top of pasta.
Drizzle the whole bowl with balsamic and oil.
Serve!

The next time I make this dish will be for a dinner at the homeschool conference. To enable it to travel more easily, I plan to use cubed mozzarella instead of the ricotta.

To rejuvenate the leftovers, add a little more extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Mmmm.