Pasta Salad Saturday

We're going to a picnic today!

And pasta salad it is.

Love this recipe. I left out the chicken for some sweet vegetarians I know who'll be picnicking with us.

And I didn't have asparagus today, so I put in a little extra broccoli.

It works because I've already sampled it. And...yummo!


• 1 - 16 ounce package bow tie pasta
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 8 ounces fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped
• 8 ounces diced cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 - 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
• 1 - 4 ounce can sliced black olives, drained
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (low-fat feta can also be used if available)
• 1 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing, or to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broccoli florets and asparagus to the boiling water during the last 5 minutes. Drain, and run under cold water to cool.
In a large serving bowl, stir together the diced chicken, kidney beans, black olives, green pepper, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and Italian dressing. Stir in the pasta, broccoli and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like it pretty heavy on the pepper. This salad is best if chilled for a couple of hours before serving.