Monday, October 26, 2009

Creamy Pea and Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

This weekend was pretty busy and exciting. On Saturday, a few of us surprised Mrs. Sac of Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen with a baby shower. The theme was 3 peas in a pod since she is expecting triplets, and I was asked to bring a salad with peas in it. I remembered that I had starred this recipe in my Google Reader, and even though it uses a lot of spring ingredients, I figured it would be perfect for this occasion. We had a wonderful time, and everyone loved the pasta salad. Thanks to Erin from Erin's Food Files for the gorgeous picture!

Creamy Pea and Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad
source: Closet Cooking

Ingredients
8 oz penne pasta
1 cup pesto
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup peas
1 cup artichoke hearts

Preparation
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water.
2. Mix the pesto and mayonnaise in a bowl.
3. Toss pesto mixture with pasta, along with the peas.
4. Fold in the artichoke hearts.
5. Let chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or more. (I made this the day before.)
6. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.