It’s easy to get bored of the same old pasta salad with celery and mayo. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious and I make it all the time but when you start spending your summer weekends at one or two BBQs, you want something new.

This is a very simple recipe that relies on fresh ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:
-1lb pasta
-Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
-Fresh arugula
-Fresh basil
-Mozzarella cheese, cut in small pieces
-Olive oil
-Red wine and balsamic vinegar (few tbsps of each based on your preference)
-Salt and pepper
-Fresh garlic, finely chopped (or garlic
powder)

INSTRUCTIONS:
-Cook pasta al dente in boiling, salted water.
-Put tomatoes and arugula in a large bowl.
-Add salt, pepper, garlic, oil and vinegar. Set aside to marinate for a while.

-When pasta is ready, set aside to cool for a few minutes. You can spray it with olive oil if you are worried about it sticking.

-Add the cheese to the mixture.

-Place cooled pasta in the bowl and mix together with all ingredients. Add fresh chopped basil. Taste the pasta to be sure it is seasoned well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve at room temperature.