Recipe: Foodie's Summer Pasta Salad

Enjoy this recipe for a cold pasta salad during the heat of summer.

When the heat of summer finally comes, my meal choices get a bit lighter, and where summer meals are concerned, this is one of my favorites. This salad helps to capture the flavors of a backyard garden by incorporating ripe tomatoes and fresh basil. Lastly, to make it a bit more filling, feel free to add some grilled chicken breast!

What you'll need:

• 12 ounces favorite pasta (I recommend bowtie, rotelle or penne)
• 2 lbs of multicolored tomatoes (I used the small pre-packaged tomatoes, but heirloom will also work)
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil (plus a little extra to garnish)
• 4 oz chopped fresh mozzarella (1/2 large mozzarella ball)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup Parmesan (plus extra for topping)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Boil pot of water and cook pasta to post directions

2) Chop tomatoes into 1-2 inch pieces

3) Finely chop basil

4) Dice mozzarella

5) Gently roast pine-nuts on medium-high skillet. Be careful as they go from roasted to burned VERY quickly.

6) Place cooked pasta into bowl and add tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, pine nuts, ricotta and Parmesan.

7) Stir well, and add up-to 1/2 cup luke-warm water to pasta mixture to create a sauce with the ricotta.