A+ for This Cool Artichoke, Pea, and Pesto Pasta Salad

What could be more quintessential for warm-weather recipes than a delicious chilled pasta salad?

Never served hot, and always served cold, pasta salads help keep our internal thermometers cooled off a bit when the mercury soars!

This Creamy Artichoke, Pea, and Pesto Pasta Salad tastes great even after a quick half-hour chill. But it tastes even better the next day after all of the flavors mingle a bit. Pasta salads can be created with a base of pasta plus just about anything that your imagination—or your garden—can provide.

Creamy Artichoke, Pea, and Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. penne pasta
• 3 Tbsp. basil pesto (freshly made if possible)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, quartered
• Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, a few minutes less than stated on the package instructions.
2. Mix the pesto with the mayonnaise.
3. Fold the artichokes and peas into the mayonnaise-pesto mixture.
4. Toss the penne pasta noodles into this mixture.
5. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or more.
6. Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
7. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Notes

• It’s best to use regular mayonnaise in this recipe (so don’t use Miracle Whip in this; it’s too tangy and there’s already enough tanginess in the basil pesto and the artichokes).
• Add the basil pesto into the mayonnaise a little at a time…stir…taste. Add more if you prefer and repeat…add more pesto…stir…taste.