jeri-, Sounds delish with tomatoes, olives and spinach. If it is the costco pesto in the squarish container that needs to be fridged?, i know that one. I like it. A life-saver in the dead of winter when i want something quick and fresh tasting. Nice and nutty, good garlic flavor. Hard for us to use up once opened so i freeze it in small containers. A tbsp in a salad dressing is good!. Also nice in a bean salad. When i drain my pasta i save a bit of the pasta water...just a 1/4 cup-ish in a pyrex. When your pasta is drained it will continue to steam being so hot. The first thing tossed into it will slightly cook and be absorbed. (why i don't add the pesto first....the basil will not taste as fresh). A small amount of marinade like a fruity vinegar with some of your olive brine, just a tbsp of each. A bit of good olive oil and again just a tbsp or less. (if it is the same pesto i know, it is made with mostly sunflower oil...just a tiny bit of olive oil further down the ingredient list). It is oily enough for me so i don't usually add any extra oil...and not about calories at all. More about an oily tasting pasta salad. If the spinach in your deli salad is firm, add it with the pesto later on when the pasta has cooled a bit. I add a bit of that saved pasta water to my pesto but judge that before adding. I'm always using different brands of pasta and i can never tell what the 'steaming' factor might be. If you want the spinach to be slightly wilted, toss it in when the pasta is hot adding with your marinade 'brine'. DH likes a certain pasta that i've been having trouble with. It is a spinach green leaf shape and a bit thick, and very starchy. It seems to like some extra olive oil to 'seal' it. Meaning to coat it and hold that starch. Otherwise it releases starch into the rest of the 'salad'. Tricky to try and reproduce a favorite, and often expensive, deli version. Fun though if you pull it off. I'm trying to crack the code of a great deli spinach egg salad. I think the spinach is Matador and just started a tray of seed starts for a fall crop...it is very thick and meaty, not thin and wilty. A bit nuts but i'm determined, : ) I did buy some over the winter and it has really good fridge shelf life. Also quickly blanched it froze well. Without the acrid iron taste that some leafy spinach has...

I invited a friend for lunch today and served your Super Easy Pasta salad. It was excellent. We both ate more than we should have. I gave a bit of the salad to my DD and this is all that is left I only used about 8 oz of Fusilli and half of a bag of prewashed baby spinach. Adding the hot past to the spinach really did make it wilt. I made my own pesto with the recipe below, Ingredients: 1 cup fresh basil leaves 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled 3 tablespoons pine nuts 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/3 cup olive oil Directions: To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I made the pesto the night before putting the salad together and it did not turn brown at all. I did not blanch the basil. I didn't actually measure the amount of pesto made but I did use the whole batch on the pasta, spinach and tomato mix. I mixed it with the pasta about 12 hours before serving. It worked out perfect. Not to dry and not too moist. Fun2 here, thanks for sharing your recipe.

This is a huge, huge fav of our family - Orzo with Roasted Vegetables 301 Reviews This recipe is a slight variation of a wonderful summer dish invented by Sarah Leah Chase in her book The Open House Cookbook. Level: Easy Total: 1 hr Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Yield: 6 servings Share This Recipe Ingredients 1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced 1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced 1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced 1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup good olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta For the dressing: 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons) 1/3 cup good olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper To assemble: 4 scallions, minced (white and green parts) 1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted 3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled) 15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne Directions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature. Copyright 2001 Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved

Sounds good, provogal. It made me think of this black bean and corn salad that's another good one. Black Bean and Corn Salad Dressing 1 small clove garlic Pinch salt Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons) 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste) 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Salad 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears) 1 orange bell pepper, diced 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1 avocado, halved, seeded and diced 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with the pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream. For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.