Zesty Bow Tie Pasta Salad

Yesterday was Mother's Day.  As a mother, I feel like it's my job to get my children to learn to cook so when they get older and leave home they can feel empowered in the kitchen.  The Sunday paper always has a kid's section that gives a recipe for kids to try out with a parents help.  My son saw this recipe and insisted that we make it together.  So I helped him by chopping and cooking the pasta.  He gathered and mixed all the ingredients together.  It was a wonderful  light pasta salad.  My son (who usually is picky) ate every bite of pasta and said he can't wait to make another recipe together. That's music to my ears and heart. :)

Ingredients and Directions:

My Changes:

 I box of Bow-Tie Pasta
16 oz of frozen broccoli florets ( I used more broccoli)
1 bell pepper finely chopped ( I added peppers and omitted the tomatoes)
1 seeded jalapeno finely chopped (I added some spice)
1 cup sliced black olives
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar ( the salad dressing was too tangy and needed some sweetness)
1 cup Italian Salad dressing
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Note:  I omitted the tomatoes because my son ( who was in charge of this recipe) refused to eat tomatoes.   I added bell pepper in it instead.  I think next time some small diced cucumber would be another great add in.

My Directions:
Cook pasta as directed by package in well salted water.  You can either microwave frozen broccoli or cook it in the last few minutes of the pasta to heat through (That's what I did.).  Drain pasta and mix with all other ingredients.  Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.  Enjoy.

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