Sunshine Pasta Salad

This recipe is from my Land-O-Lakes recipe book. It is so refreshing, and makes for a very pretty presentation. If you grow your own tomatoes, you'll enjoy this too. Nothing like fresh garden grown tomatoes. Serve this at a dinner party and your guests will be impressed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please Note: Do not use any long string pasta, like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine pasta with this recipe. Use short pasta.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  ounces  your favorite uncooked pasta
• 4  medium tomatoes (ripe)
• 1  cup cucumber, sliced 1/8-inch (0.2cm)
• 6  ounces  marinated artichoke hearts, quartered (reserve marinate)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1  tablespoon lemon peel, grated
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dill weed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. cook pasta according to package, drain, rinse with cold water.
2. in a large bowl combine pasta and remaining ingredients (except tomatoes).
3. toss to coat with with reserved artichoke marinate.
4. remove stems from tomatoes.
5. cut each tomato into 4 wedges, leaving 1/2'inch base to keep tomato intact.
6. serve 1 cup of pasta over each tomato.