A Cool and Refreshing Pasta Salad to Make Your Belly Smile

In the summer time, there's nothing more that I crave than cool and refreshing fruit and of course salads.  The best thing about a salad is how versatile it can be.  Whether you want to have chicken or even steak in it, it's easy to make it your own.  Add in your favorite ingredients to truly make it a meal that you'll love.  

Recipe credit given below 

When I think of summer BBQ's or parties, pasta salad comes to mind.  Pasta salad is a classic staple that certainly would make any crowd happy.  If you're having a party in the near future and are looking for something to make your party a hit, how about a broccoli pasta salad?

Ingredients:

7 sweet mini peppers (orange, yellow and red)

1 head of broccoli

1/3 cup dried cranberries

4 cups cooked bow-tie pasta (approx. 1/2 of a 12 oz box)

3/4 cup to 1 cup of 3 cheese ranch dressing

salt and pepper to taste

slivered almonds (optional)

Steps:

Cook pasta until al dente and rinse in warm water

Dice the peppers and chop broccoli

Add peppers, broccoli, cranberries and pasta into a bowl and pour dressing over ingredients

Cover and chill in the fridge at least two hours.  More dressing may need to be poured over the salad before serving.  

You can either make this the main meal of your party, or it definitely goes great as a side dish too.  Don't forget to serve up a perfectly fruity beverage to really wow your guests.

*Recipe taken from Pics and Pastries*