Easy & Colorful Pasta Salad

Once again, my second mom created a masterpiece, this time in the form of a pasta salad that’s perfect for any summer picnic, lunch or dinner. You can chop/slice/dice the vegetables however it suits you and your desire for something you can really sink your teeth – and fork – into.

Cook about 12 oz. pasta al dente – my Mom always uses linguini, and therefore, so do I, but this would be just as delicious with any kind of pasta.  Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine:

• 1 cup fresh tomatoes – halved, wedged or diced, however you prefer them, as long as the chunks are meaty enough to withstand some tossing (I prefer the tiny plum tomatoes)
• 1 cup celery (about 3 stalks), chopped/sliced
• 1 can black olives, sliced
• 1 cup quartered/sliced cucumber (I use the English variety so I don’t have to peel it, plus it adds some nice color)
• 4 – 6 oz. crumbled blue cheese

Drain and cool the pasta under cold running water and let it dry just a bit.  Add it to the bowl and combine with the other ingredients.  Then add:

• 1/2 cup Ken’s Red Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil dressing (tragically, this flavor of Ken’s dressing is not available in stores in my region, so I’ve been forced to succumb to a lower form substitute by Wish-Bone, resulting in a salad less magical than my Mom’s–the dressing really does make this salad wonderful)
• several dashes of McCormick’s Salad Supreme seasoning
• Coupla dashes black pepper

Coat the salad evenly, and let it sit in the fridge to meld all the tasty deliciousness!