Fancy Pasta Salad

Last Sunday we went grocery shopping, as luck would have it both Riley and I fell ill the very next day and have been fighting the sickness ever since...which included fevers, sore throats, coughing, head aches, runny noses, lots of sleep, lots of soup, lots of water lots of 'I really dont feel like eating', and a whole lot of NOT having the energy to cook all the food I so happily bought 7 days ago! So as the week went on I feared all the goodies would go to waste. On Father's Day I had just enough energy to throw together a quick and easy Pasta Salad using the organic zucchini I had purchased, along with the FIRST and ONLY red cabbage harvested from our garden! I harvested it on Monday and was worried it would go bad with all the other neglected food in my fridge. Alas! it did not...and to my surprise the pasta salad was quite lovely, and Riley just loved the raw zucchini! BIG SURPRISE! I didn't expect it would be such a big hit so I wasn't really paying much attention to measurments, so bear with me as I try to remember :)

garden fresh red cabbage! 

Fancy Pasta Salad

ingredients:
12oz. cooked pasta, drained and cooled (I used fusilli, but feel free to use whatever you like)
Half of a small red cabbage, chopped, about 1 cup
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 can black olives, drained, rinsed and cut in half
1 large zucchini, thinly sliced (or two small ones)
zest and juice of 1 lemon
about 1/4 cup olive oil
about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
hand full of fresh basil, chopped
sprinkle about 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese on top (I only added it to mine because no one else likes it :P )

combine cabbage, onion, olives, zucchini and pasta in large bowl. add zest and basil, mix well. in measuring cup, juice one lemon and add olive oil and balsamic vinegar, whisk well and drizzle all over pasta salad, add salt and pepper to taste, mix until combined. top with cheese of your choice. I like Gorgonzola, but feel free to add fresh Parmesan, feta or bleu cheese..or leave the cheese out and call it vegan! :)  
enjoy! -Jess