Sound of Music Pasta Salad

Last weekend we went to the Sound of Music Sing-A-Long at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a lot of fun and very interactive - even beyond the singing. People booed, hissed, cheered, laughed, made jokes, and shouted at the main characters. The Hollywood Bowl is one of my favorite summer activities and I didn't think I'd make it there this year so it was fun to end the summer this way (Well, is summer really over if it's 100 degrees out?). What made it even more special was that it was in honor of my mom's birthday and my sisters were in town!

Baby girl got to join the adults for the evening because it was too long to leave her with a babysitter and she was terrific, as usual. I failed to take a picture of her first outing to the Bowl :( There were a lot of kids and families and my sister in law and I agreed to take big sister and her cousin when they're about 5 and 6 years old.

If you're a fan of the Hollywood Bowl, you know that other than the superb main acts they book and the beautiful outdoor experience, a main component of the evening is the food. We kept our menu simple and I made a pasta salad. I feel like I've made a lot of mediocre pasta salad and I was going for something more interesting. The recipe below was the result and I really liked it.

I made it in the morning but left out the basil and only put on about half the amount of dressing that I would normally use. Then, I refrigerated it for the day to let the flavors blend. Right before we left, I put the rest of the dressing on and stirred in the fresh basil. I bet it would be great the next day but there weren't any leftovers.

Bec's Pasta Salad (serves 8)

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl and toss with an Italian vinaigrette (bottled or make the dressing below):

1 lb farfalle (bow-tie) pasta, cooked al dente
1 c. mozzarella pearls (little balls of mozzarella, packed in water)
3 oz pkg of sliced dry italian salami, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 c. chopped basil

Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes