"Everyday Cooking"- Pasta Salad with Italian dressing

I love 'colorful' food. It instantly pleases your eyes...and makes your mouth water.As they rightly say...'First, You feast with your eyes'. And more the color on your plate...more Nutritious it is going to be!! Remember your grandma telling....you should have 1 green+1 yellow vegetable + Protein+ Carbohydrate+ salad on your plate! This salad is almost like eating it all in one plate!

This pasta salad here has variety of colors from the vegetables and the various textures make it more interesting...the juicy tomatoes, the soft cubed cheese, the crunchy sweet red onion, fresh green broccoli all contribute to the yumminess of the salad!

Ingredients:
(I used 2 pastas here...you can use one which you like)
2 cups 'al dente' Cooked Penne Pasta
1 Cup 'al dente' cooked Farfalle pasta
3/4 to 1 cup 'Zesty Italian Dressing
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan
1/2 cup Broccoli florets
1/2 cup sliced Red onion
1/2 cup Cubed Cheese (I used Pepper Jack Cheese)
8-10 Cherry tomatoes cut into two pieces
10-12 Fresh Basil leaves
1/2tsp Black ground pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4tsp dried oregano
5tsp olive oil
salt


Method:
1) Cook the pasta as per packet directions in salted water. Drain well and let it cool. Drizzle 2 tsp olive oil and some black pepper.Keep aside
2) Saute broccoli in 1tsp olive oil till slightly cooked but still crunchy.
3) Mix the Pasta,broccoli, Italian dressing, onion, cheeses and everything from the ingredient list
4) Make ahead of time.Let it marinate at least for 2-4 hours before serving.Marinate in the refrigerator.
Before serving, microwave for 20-30 seconds, just to bring it to Room temperature
This salad is served at room temperature or cold.