Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing

Well, this is about a week late, but better late than never.  I was lucky enough to have my mom, my brother Travis, his Wife CJ and their son (my nephew) Cooper come visit on the 4^th. 

 It was a packed house but we had a blast! We experienced a lot of what Boise has to offer including floating the river, visiting the zoo and going to the Saturday market.  Unfortunately, a damper was put on the trip to the zoo when Jav told us all that the Giraffes died last year.  Apparently, Giraffes are really hard to take care of….Cooper loves animals and was very sad.  Well… Jav thought they had died, but really they were alive and well!  Phew! Pretty funny.

On the actual 4^th, we had a barbeque and invited some friends/family over to light off some fireworks and enjoy lots of food and drink.  Here are some pics from the night:

I made a few different salads, but decided to post this Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing as I thought it turned out the best.  It was darn pretty good and very easy to make. 

Hope you enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Dressing
Printable recipe here

16oz Penne Pasta Cooked

1.5 Cups Grape Tomatoes Halved

1 Red Pepper Chopped

1 Green Pepper Chopped

½ Cup Fresh Basil Chopped

1 Can Artichoke Hearts (not marinated) drained and chopped

½ Sundried Tomatoes Packed in Oil (drained)

1 Shallot Chopped

4 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

¼ Cup Olive Oil

¼ Cup Grated Parmesan

½ Cup Feta Cheese Crumbled

Mix penne, tomatoes, peppers, basil and  artichokes in a large bowl.  Set aside. 

 In a blender, blend sundried tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan. 

 Blend until smooth.  Pour over pasta mixture along with feta.  Mix well.  Serve cold. 

Enjoy!

Love,

Lindzee

PS, Thanks mom, Travis, CJ and Cooper for coming to visit! I had such a good time! Hope to see you around these parts again soon :0.