TINY Kitchen Perfect Pasta Salad

With the long-awaited arrival of summer, comes many a BBQ invitation. Looking for something delicious and easy to bring along? Let me introduce to you my staple: the Perfect Pasta Salad. Why is it perfect, you ask? It's easy, inexepsive, loaded with healthy veggies and everyone will love it (kids, husbands and mother-in-laws included)! I hope you do, too!

NOTE: This pasta salad really is best when refrigerated overnight prior to serving. I just put saran wrap over the bowl, place it in the fridge and let it marinate while we sleep.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 box dry Rotini pasta (if you're on bikini or wedding watch, try whole wheat or Quinoa pasta instead)
1 can petite diced tomatoes (I like the kind that include garlic and onion) OR 1 pint of cherry or plum tomatoes, cut in half
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 can of sliced black olives (I normally go small: 2-3 oz)
1 small red onion, diced
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 3.5oz package of low or no fat feta
1 12-16oz bottle of light Italian salad dressing
Salt, pepper, oregano to taste
Optional: meats! I like to use cured salami cut into strips. I've also used shredded chicken with crumbled bacon. Both options are great.

DIRECTIONS

Boil pasta according to package directions
While pasta cooks, dice all veggies and rinse garbanzo beans
Slice meats, set aside
Open your canned veggies: drain olives completely, but be sure to leave a little of the juice in the tomatoes
Once pasta is done cooking, drain, rinse and cool in a collander
Once pasta is cool, combine in a large bowl with all of your vegetables, including the juice from the canned tomatoes
Mix and then add meat if you so choose
Pour the entire bottle of salad dressing over the top, mix again
Now add the feta, mix again
Taste (the best part!) and then add salt & pepper and oregano as desired