pasta salad - one of many

Hi all. I'll come back and edit this post to add the picture later - I took one, but I don't know how to get it on here yet.

I got this pasta salad recipe from my aunt - when I was at her house a couple of years ago, I went through her cookbooks and wrote a bunch of stuff out. I recently found those random pieces of paper and have started making stuff from them. Pasta salad is one of my favorite things for warm weather days, and I was a bit overheated from hiking up the hill at the zoo earlier today. This really hit the spot, and I'm looking forward to trying the lemon summer pasta that Tiana posted (I'm also a big fan of asparagus and garlic).

AUNT JEAN'S PASTA SALAD
1 - Cook a box of penne pasta.
2 - Put 2 tbl. olive oil in a frying pan, cook 1 cup julienne-cut carrots and 1/2 cup chopped red onion. Cook on high heat until the carrots start to get tender.
3 - At this stage, you can add Italian sausage if you want to.
4 - Lower the heat and add 1 cup snap peas and 1 cup broccoli.
5 - Add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (or dice 2 beefsteak tomatoes), and basil, garlic, and oregano to taste.
6 - When the veggies are heated all the way through, mix with the pasta.
7 - Add black olives and cubed mozzarella cheese.
8 - Eat warm or cold.

Lemon Summer Pasta

This recipe I got from Elizabeth. We made it last year for Kent's birthday. Just shows what a good wife she is. She doesn't like asparagus or garlic. I do!

Tips: Whenever I am at the store thinking about making this dish, I always forget what cream I am supposed to buy. This last time I bought table cream. It cooked down alot better and CJ preferred it (a lot creamier). I can't remember the other creams I have tried. Light whipping cream once I think. Worked as well. The real recipe actual calls for less zest of lemon, but I love the lemony flavor, so I always grate in as much as I can get off my lemon.

8 oz cooked pasta
2 c. asparagus
2 c. summer squash and/or zucchini
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs butter
1/2 c. whipping cream
zest of lemon
salt to taste

Sautee veggies and garlic in butter til they reach your preferred tenderness (I like them to be a little crisp still). Remove veggies with slotted spoon, leaving any juices and garlic. Pour in cream and lemon zest. Cook down cream til 1/3 c. (just when it looks thicker). Then combine all ingredients including pasta and enjoy!