Pesto Pasta Salad

I found this great recipe on another blog and made it to bring to a BBQ this evening. Very quick to make and I think it would even taste good warmed up (which we might try with the leftovers tomorrow). I doubled it for a large group but here's the recipe as written:

Ingredients:

8 oz box of penne pasta
1 cup of homemade pesto or store bought.
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1.5 cups of frozen sweet peas
1 cup of artichoke hearts, quartered
*Optional: 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a small bowl mix pesto sauce and mayonnaise together and set aside.
Prepare penne pasta according to package instructions to al dente.  Drain pasta well and toss  in a large bowl.  Add frozen peas to pasta and toss with pesto dressing until everything is well mixed and coated.
Gently fold in artichoke hearts and allow the salad to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese prior to serving. Enjoy!

I will leave you with some photos taken in my own backyard.  A sure sign summer is right around the corner....