Mediterranean Broccoli Pasta Salad

Making a pasta salad is fun and easy. The hard part is deciding which type to make and how to flavor it. We had some broccoli florettes in the fridge that we hadn't gotten around to eating and they were calling out to us to combine with an interesting mixture of Mediterranean ingredients. Since we love pasta salads and we had some Kalamata olives and fresh basil also hanging around, this was the beginning of a new creation. We had also bought an extra bag of cherry tomatoes at the Farmer's Market just for such an occasion.

Now we were inspired to put it all together. Unfortunately, we forgot to buy the Feta cheese but we had some provolone and, even though Feta would have been better, the provolone was good. So here's how it all went together...

Serves:                 4 as a side
Prep Time:          10 minutes
Cook Time:         11 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces Farfalle pasta (or pasta of your choice)
9 ounce bag of organic broccoli florettes
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
26 Kalamata olives, halved
1/2 red onion, diced medium
3-4 pinches red pepper flakes
1/3 C fresh basil, cut in narrow strips
1/4 cup+ Cheese - we used Provolone but would recommend Feta
1/4 C Grand Reserve Barrel Aged balsamic vinegar (this is thick like a balsamic glaze)
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
a pinch of Himalayan mined salt

PREPARATION:   
1. Boil the pasta according to directions. Drain and wash with cold water and set aside to cool. Note: If you dry it right away and spray it with a little olive oil and mix, it won't stick together.
2. Cut broccoli crowns into bite-size pieces. Cut onions into 1/4" pieces.
Halve the tomatoes and Kalamatas. Then tear or cut up the basil.
3. Mix all seasonings together and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Refrigerate for several hours for flavors to blend then enjoy!

PLATING: 
Serve as a side dish or for a light vegetarian meal. Garnish with parsley or basil. serve with Parmesan cheese.

Bon appetit,
Tom and Anita

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Mediterranean Broccoli Pasta Salad

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