This is my favorite - Orzo with feta, tomato and green onion - from Epicurious.com Yield: Makes 8 servings Ingredients 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 cup olive oil 6 cups chicken broth 1 pound orzo (or riso) 2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved 1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 cup chopped fresh basil 1 cup chopped green onions 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted Preparation Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.) Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool. Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature. Bon Appétit, April 2006 by Giada De Laurentiis photo by: Victoria Pearson

Two more for your perusal: GREEK PASTA SALAD 1 lb. medium-size shell or other short pasta (4 cups) Salt 2/3 cup olive oil 2 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice (1 lemon) 2 small cloves garlic, crushed in a garlic press 1 tsp. dried oregano Freshly ground black pepper 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half 1-1/2 cups chopped cucumber (2 medium-size or 1 large cucumber) 1 cup chopped red onion (1 medium-size onion) 1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or parsley Pickled banana or cherry peppers or steamed shrimp (optional), for garnish Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta and 1 tsp. of salt, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook the pasta, uncovered, according to the package directions until just done, 8 to 9 minutes. Meanwhile, place the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and oregano in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set the salad dressing aside. Drain the pasta well in a colander, shaking it to remove the excess water. Transfer the pasta to the large mixing bowl with the dressing. Stir to coat and let the pasta come to room temperature, about 20 minutes. When the pasta is cool, fold in the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, olives, and mint or parsley. Stir to combine well. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and/or black pepper if needed. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and serve at once garnished with the banana peppers or shrimp, if desired, or cover and refrigerate the salad until serving time. Serves 8. Big Batch: This salad is easy to double or triple, but cook the pasta a pound at a time, and mix the salad one batch at a time. Tote Notes: Tote this salad right in its serving bowl and bring the optional garnish of peppers or shrimp in a separate container, if you like. Cover the serving bowl with plastic wrap that sticks securely to the rim of the bowl to make traveling less messy. If possible, let the salad come to room temperature before serving. Then stir the salad again and top it with the garnish, if using. From What Can I Bring by Anne Byrn. SANTA FE PASTA SALAD This salad is simply fabulous! The flavor blend is right on. Add some diced, cooked chicken to make a delicious meal-in-one salad, or serve as is on the side. 1 pkg. (16 oz.) rotini pasta 1-1/4 cups tomato juice 1-1/2 Tblsp. olive oil 1 Tblsp. red wine vinegar 1 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 Tblsp. diced green bell pepper 2 Tblsp. diced Roma tomato Boil pasta according to pkg. directions. Rinse under cold water and drain well. Stir together tomato juice, olive oil, vinegar, chili powder, paprika, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Toss with pasta in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Combine Parmesan cheese, corn, scallions, cilantro, green pepper and tomato. Combine with chilled pasta; cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Season with cracked black pepper before serving if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

This is one of my favorite salads-I also like to stuff a tomatoe with it also. "Sharon's Shrimp Salad" ************************ *4 cups cooked pasta (the tiny "O" ring pasta..al dente) * 1/2 lb cooked shrimp-sliced in half lengthways 1 cup thinly sliced celery 1 cup frozen green peas-cooked till just done! 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes-diced 1/2 cup diced sweet onion 1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, cut in chunks salt & pepper to taste grated rind & juice of 1 lemon DRESSING: ********* Equal parts of MARIE'S Blue Cheese Vinagrette (in produce case at the grocery) and Catalina dressing.Blend together & mix into the pasta salad. Mighty Tasty!!

This is a favorite I got from my SIL. It was adapted from the recipe on the label of the key ingredient to this pasta salad - McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning. PASTA SALAD 12-oz. spaghetti (cook, rinse, cut-up) 8 oz. Italian Dressing (bottled) 1 t. sugar 3 green onions, chopped 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped 1-2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 sweet pepper (color of choice) 1/2 bottle (McCormick) SALAD SUPREME SEASONING (I use much less than this, so try 1 t., or to taste) Mix all ingredients together. Chill overnight. Keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. ------------------ I've altered it over the years to be LOTS of veggies, and only a small amount of pasta, which makes it less heavy and more refreshing. I add Italian dressing to taste (I use MUCH less than the recipe calls for). Once you've made it, it quickly becomes a what's-in-the-refrigerator dish, like it is with most pasta salads. A good recipe when you have a dab of cooked macaroni or spaghetti and some veggies that need to be used up. Although the recipe calls for spaghetti, any kind of pasta will work, and as much or as little as you'd like to use. It's all about the dressing and seasonings. -Grainlady