Tri-Color Pasta Salad

Tri-Color Pasta Salad
1 box (16 oz.) tri-color Garden Rotini
3 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 jar artichoke hearts, rinsed
1/2 cup black olives, thinly sliced
1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Honey Mustard Vinegarette, recipe below
salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, onions, artichoke hearts, olives, and mushrooms.

Drain pasta and rinse with cool water to stop cooking. Add pasta to vegetable mix, along with vinegarette, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap, chill at least four hours, or overnight.

Honey Mustard Vinegarette
2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. apple juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

In an electric blender, combine honey, apple juice, vinegar and mustard. While blender is on, slowly add olive oil until blended. Cover and chill at least three hours, or overnight.

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This salad is so simple, and very light and delicious. You can add every variation imagineable, this particular recipe is dairy-free and vegetarian but you could add chicken, seafood, fresh cheese, or another dressing to suit your needs and own tastebuds. My mom makes a version with crab meat, parmesan cheese, and italian dressing.

The vinegarette can be made with more or less olive oil and apple juice but for this salad I wanted to keep it as light as possible. I add more apple juice to make it thinner. You make it as thin, or thick, as you'd like.

Make it your own!!!!