Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Lemon And Broccoli

I have made this pasta salad a few times this summer. The  dressing is a riff of the classic mayo dressing but the addition of lemon makes it taste a bit lighter and seasonal. Cherry tomatoes have been ready for the picking in my garden and I also have pots of basil that are growing faster that I can use them.They both make an appearance in this salad .

I used whole wheat pasta for this as that it is what I had in the pantry, regular pasta can be substituted, adjust the cooking time accordingly. This pasta can be made a few hours prior to serving, great for a picnic this weekend!


Pasta Salad With Tomatoes, Lemon And Broccoli
Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup whole milk
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl, adjust seasonings and set aside.

1 box whole wheat pasta  ( penne) - 13.25 oz
1 head broccoli - cut into florets
10 oz cherry tomatoes - halved
12 whole basil leaves - chopped
1/2 cup  whole leaf parsley - chopped
salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta till done. Add in broccoli florets in pasta ( with pasta)  water the last 2 minutes of remaining cooking time, drain.
Stir pasta - broccoli mixture, halved tomatoes, basil, chopped parsley and dressing together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving .