Summer comes with BBQ's, beach bums, camp fires, fresh garden veggies and hot weather.  Summer eating means you try not to use your stove as much as possible!  I hate heating up the whole house to cook in the oven.  So I try to use the grill whenever possible.  And everything always tastes so much better on the grill!
I had been in the mood for a pasta salad but not an ordinary pasta salad.  I wanted a little bit of sophistication in the salad.

Pasta salad with feta and balsamic dressing.

I first cooked the pasta and put some spinach in the stainer so when I drained the pasta, it also cooked the spinach. 

I then added the vegetables.  Tomatoes, either grape or cherry work best for this and cut them in half, cucumbers, mushroom, and the best part is fresh basil.  

The dressing!  Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. 

I always like to let my salads soak up the dressing for a few hours before I eat it.  I also waited to put the feta in until it was time to eat.  

Ingredients 

   1 package of  Bow tie pasta- small or large in size

   2 cups of spinach

   1 package of grape or cherry tomatoes

   1 package of mushrooms

   1/2 European cucumber 

   1 package of feta cheese (I used reduced fat)

   a bunch of basil

Dressing

  1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

  1/2 cup of olive oil

   2 cloves of garlic minced

   salt and pepper  

Enjoy!