pasta salad

i made a bunch of macaroni and then prepared 2 different pasta salads; one vegetarian and one with ham. i don't have exact measurements - i make big batches for potlucks and small for eating at home

for both salads you will need -

pasta* of your choice, salt and pepper to taste
one green and one red bell pepper,diced
several green onions or 1/4 of a red onion (more or less depending on your taste)
frozen peas, thawed in fridge
olive oil vinegarette dressing (i really like newmans' or you can make your own)

for the traditional salad you will also need
diced cooked ham
mayo

for the other salad you will need
olives (i like green so i use green you can use black)
diced cucumber


prepare two cups of pasta of your choice according to package directions
note: as soon as you drain your pasta, put it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and to avoid over cooking, drain after a few minutes

divide up the pasta, peas, bell peppers, and onions into two bowls
cover lightly with dressing
into one bowl add ham and mayo, and toss

in the other bowl, add the olives and cucumber and a little more dressing and toss

keep in fridge until ready to serve


*i've used the macaroni but the tri-color bowtie pasta is another good choice