Tri-Color Pasta Salad
"I've subbed unsalted sunflower seeds for the pine nuts before with good results (although pine nuts are my preference; love them!). You can use regular tomatoes in place of the Roma; I like to give them a light squeeze over the sink after slicing in half to get rid of a bit of water before adding them to the salad. The original recipe called for 2 teaspoons sauté spice (equal parts black pepper, salt and garlic powder). I've scaled that amount down over the years and broken it out into separate ingredients in the recipe...."
INGREDIENTS
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12-ounce package tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
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2/3 cup creamy Caesar dressing
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1/2 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
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3 roma tomatoes, diced
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1 (6-ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
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1/4 cup finely diced red onion (or green onions)
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3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
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6-10 fresh basil leaves, cut into strips or torn into pieces, plus more for garnish, if desired
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1/4 cup basil pesto
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1/2 to 1 cup toasted pine nuts (optional - see note above for substitutions)
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