I must admit, I’ve been adamant in my “I love my summer pasta salad with Italian dressing, lemon and veggies, so get off my back about trying something new” bandwagon (am I alone on this wagon?) So when Dave prompted me to try something different I shrugged and googled thinking, you’ll be begging for my good ole’ stand by soon enough…woops! I was I wrong. I stumbled upon this recipe (and great blog). It was delicious – crunchy, tangy, crisp and refreshing, a must-have for summer bbqs!

Ingredients:
1 box Rotini
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups chopped, raw broccoli (about 1-inch pieces)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup crumbled, cooked bacon
1/4 cup diced red onion or sliced green onion
*I will say I was slightly baconed out (I know, sinful) so I did not include and it was still amazing, but bacon would make it divine.

Cook the bacon and crumble, set aside. Then cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. Rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Place in large bowl. Then for the dressing, in small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and set aside. Add broccoli, cheese, sunflower seeds, bacon and onion to pasta. Toss to combine. Add dressing and toss until coated. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve to guests and watch them delightfully devour!