Picnic Perfect

It's perfect picnic weather right now in Seattle which gives me a great excuse to gather a hodgepodge of different foods and mix and match. I wanted to make a pasta salad...but not just any plain Jane pasta salad; I wanted to make something that people would say, "WOW, what is in that"!? I personally feel there are two ingredients that always make a meal seem fancy shmancy. Sun dried tomatoes and/or basil pesto. So I used both.

Sun Dried Tomato, Basil Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients:
Bag of Penne Pasta
1 Cup of fresh or jarred pesto
1 1/2 C frozen peas
2 Tbsp Mayo
1/4 C slivered Sun Dried Tomatoes (or less...just preference)
1/4 C quartered artichoke hearts
Parmesan (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil pasta and drain
Mix frozen peas and pasta in large mixing bowl
Mix mayo into pesto, add sun dried tomatoes then mix into peas and pasta
Gently mix in artichoke quarters, add salt pepper to taste.
Refrigerate about 20 minutes and add parmesan before serving.

While the pasta was cooling I sliced some sharp cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese. I also slivered up some prosciutto and bagged those things up to add to crackers.

Finally I bagged up some hummus, red grapes, seltzer water, plastic ware and I'm off!!