Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

This is a yummy salad I found on Pioneer Woman last summer.  That's when I made it, too, and I'm just getting around to posting it.  It was really good!  Since it's now summer again and salads are always welcome, I decided I better get it posted.  One change I made was to use regular black olives instead of the Kalamata olives (which I love but are a little too strong for the other 5 people eating in this house.)  You can go to her site for her great step-by-step directions. 

Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Dressing Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) jar Sundried Tomatoes, packed in oil

4 cloves garlic

3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt & pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients:

1 package (16 ounces) corkscrew pasta

1 jar Kalamata or assorted olives

1 pint ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

10 basil leaves, chopped or julienne

1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Dressing:

In a blender combine sundried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, and vinegar until tomatoes are chopped.  Continue blending while drizzling in olive oil until mixed together.

Pasta:

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot.

Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the pasta.  Add olives and toss together.  Add remaining ingredients, tossing together and adding more dressing until the salad is coated to your liking.

Serve on a big platter with an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.