Cucumber, Tomato and Pasta Salad

I make this recipe mostly in late Spring and especially during the Summer months using cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, fresh from my own garden. I usually make enough for at least two or three servings so I'll have something for a quick, easy brown-bag lunch or perhaps a light dinner. This recipe is easy on the budget, relatively healthy, and is a great side dish. I'll sometimes have a small bowl of this salad with a toasted slice of baguette bread, lightly brushed with extra virgin olive oil and rubbed with a fresh garlic clove and a sprinkling of oregano, and a glass of my favorite wine. Bon Appetit!!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 6

Ingredients

• 2  cups tri-color spiral pasta, uncooked
• 10 -15  cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
• 2 -4  tablespoons black olives, canned sliced
• 1  large cucumber, sliced and quartered (peel, if desired)
• 1⁄3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1⁄4 cup  Italian dressing
• 1  tablespoon  almonds, sliced (optional)

Directions

1. Cook rotini as directed on package to al dante; Drain and run pasta under cold water.
2. Drizzle italian dressing over pasta, mixing slowly so as not to break apart the pasta pieces. Add in tomatoes, black olives, cucumber, and 5 tablespoons of the feta cheese. Continue mixing ingredients until well-coated.
3. Sprinkle remaining feta cheese over pasta mixture and top with almonds. (Instead of almonds I've used Melissa's Salad Sprinkles. This could not be located in RecipeZaar as a recognized ingredient but I wanted to record it in the directions as another option for a salad topper.).
4. NOTE: If you don't care for feta cheese, try using Parmesan cheese instead. It tastes just as good and gives the salad a somewhat different flavor. Use only four to five tablespoons instead and mix in as given above.