Italian Pasta Salad

Carbs are my best friend so its no surprise that I fell in love with this the first time I starting tinkering with a pasta salad recipe that would fit my personality. So many store bought pasta salads leave funny after tastes that I knew I could come up with one to satisfy me. Many of the vegetables I use in this I inter-change depending on the time of year so that I can use the freshest ingredients.

Italian Pasta Salad

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup miracle whip
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. fresh basil, chopped
1 pound bow tie pasta
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup yellow pepper, chopped
1/3 cup red pepper, chopped
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 red onion, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions til al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, miracle whip, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and garlic until combined. Stir in the basil.

In a large bowl combine all vegetables and pasta. Pour in the mayonnaise mixture and gently stir until combined. Chill two hours or overnight before serving.

Just before serving sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.