Pesto Pasta Salad

My parents, sister and brother-in-law visited us in Chicago a few weekends ago.  It was the first time that they were all here at the same time.  Not to mention, we had a BLAST!  Before Doug and I showed them around our city, we all gathered at our place for a quick bite to eat.  I had everything prepped and ready to go, so it seriously took no time at all to throw this lunch together. In addition to this pasta salad, we had Cranberry, Pecan and Rosemary Chicken Salad in pitas and a few Chicago-brewed 312 beers!

Pesto Pasta Salad
Yield: 8 Side Servings


10 oz. Creste di Gallo Pasta (or pasta of your choice)
1/2 C. Pesto, homemade or store-bought 
1/2 C. Fat Free Plain Yogurt
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved
2 C. Arugula, loosely packed
3/4 C. Frozen Peas, thawed
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until one minute less than al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. In a large bowl, combine the pesto and yogurt until well mixed.  Add the cooked pasta; stir to combine.  Then add the tomatoes, arugula and peas; stir gently.  Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.