Fusilli Jerry Salad

Thank Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame for the inspiration. This recipe is a spin-off of one of her fabulous salads.

Ingredients:

Broccoli florets, blanched 4 minutes then drained and cooled - maybe 3 cups but the amount is entirely up to you
1/2 pound fusilli (any spirally pasta will do but it won't be Fusilli Jerry)
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Two very ripe tomatoes (NOTE: a can of diced tomatoes is preferable if the fresh tomatoes aren't summer fresh)
8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil

Dressing:

8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
4 T red-wine vinegar (I like a very vingegary dressing so I add more; proportion is up to you)
6 T olive oil
Garlic, minced (how much is your choice)
2 t Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Oregano, to taste

Cook and drain the pasta. (Follow package instructions.) Set aside. (You might want to toss cooling pasta with a splash of olive oil [or, come to think of it, use the oil drained from the sun-dried tomatoes] to keep it from sticking.)

Put the pasta into a big salad bowl. Add chopped tomatoes, blanched and cooled broccoli, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

Combine the dressing ingredients in the your food processor until smooth.

Pour dressing over the pasta and veggies. Toss well.

A sprinkle of Parmesan might be nice. Or some diced mozzarella. Have fun with this recipe. It's a great jumping-off point.