Super Summer Pasta Salad!!!

[sissychrissy1]

One of my friends gave me this recipe after I ate it at her house like two years ago, and I just pulled it out and made it.  It's DELICIOUS!!! 

Butterfly Pasta Salad (or as I like to call it, Super Summer Pasta Salad)

1/2 lb. farfalle (aka bowtie pasta aka butterfly pasta)
1/3 c. chopped red oinion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. chopped red/yellow/orange pepper (whatever you like/have)
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
3 T sliced black olives
2 T capers, rinsed
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas, chilled, rinsed, and drained
2/3 c. crumbled goat cheese or feta
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 T sherry or balsamic vinegar
2 T pine nuts
1/2 t red pepper flakes

Boil the pasta until al dente.  Drain and rinse well with cold water.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the other ingredients and then toss with the pasta.  Mix gently.  Cover and chill to let flavors mingle or serve at room temperature if you just can't wait!

It calls for a lot of ingredients at first glance, but I suspect a lot of people will already have the items on hand (I had almost all of them).  The nice thing is that you can also substitute ingredients easily based on your preferences or what you have around.  For example, this time I left out the onion, used halved kalamata olives, subbed corn for chickpeas, left out the parsley, and used a mix of pine nuts/pepitas/slivered almonds.  Still delicious!

Make, eat, enjoy!

[Annia]

Sounds delicios. I'll try this, but without the olives and tomatoes since i'm picky...

[GhostAcademy]

I made this and it was delicious.  I'm even eating the leftovers right now 

[sissychrissy1]

Yea!  I made it again for a barbecue this past weekend, and it was wiped out in no time.