Pesto Pasta Salad

I love Pesto and one of my favorite side dishes to prepare is Pesto Pasta Salad with feta cheese and halved cherry tomatoes.  Yummo!

Last night we attended a school picnic with the five year old and our last name fell into the 'bring a salad' category, so i opted to take a pasta salad.  I would say that it was a hit because the bowl was all but licked clean.

This is a REALLY basic and EASY recipe and it is so very tasty.  Sure to be a hit at any picnic or dinner at home.

slicing the tomatoes 

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here's what you need:
12 oz box of Tri-Color Rotini
1 jar of Pesto (Classico is my favorite because I love to re-use the little Mason jars when entertaining)
4 oz package of Tomato and Basil Feta Cheese (crumbled)
10.5 oz package of cherry tomatoes.

what to do:
1.  Boil pasta until tender and then drain. Let pasta cool. (i usually put in the fridge for about 30 minutes)
2.  While pasta is boiling cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
3.  Once pasta is cool, toss with tomatoes, feta cheese and pesto sauce.

Serve as a side dish or with garlic bread and a green salad.  It is fantastic either way.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

Fruit Salad in a Pineapple Boat

This summery, sweet treat is as good as it looks.  When served with a ridiculously delicious fruit dip, no one will be able to resist this refreshing fruit salad.

the good stuff:

1 fresh pineapple

2 cups cubed cantaloupe

1 cup halved fresh strawberries

1 cup grapes

1 Tbsp. lime juice

the ridiculously delicious dip:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese; softened

1 container of marshmallow fluff

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Stand pineapple upright; vertically cut about a third from one side, leaving the top attached. Remove fruit and discard outer peel from the smaller section.  Remove fruit from the large section, leaving a 1/2-in shell.  Chop fruit; place in a large bowl.  Add the cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes and lime juice;  toss to coat.  place in pineapple shell.  In a mixing bowl, combine dip ingredients and mix with a mixer until well-blended and smooth.  Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with fruit.

I always seem to have extra fruit, so I go ahead and fill the remaining cantaloupe shells with fruit as well.  Blueberries are also a wonderful additive to this fruit salad.  The fruit dip is amazing and is also great served with sliced apples!  Thanks Tiffany for introducing me to this FABULOUS dip!

Enjoy!

Fruit Salad in a Pineapple Boat