Pasta Salad with Proscuitto and Summer Squash

Remember those birthday parties I rambled on about for weeks? Well, one of the biggest challenges is what to serve at a birthday party. Both of my kids are at an age where parents still attend the parties so the aim is to get birthday party food that pleases kids and parents alike.

One solution: pasta salad!

No, not the pasta salad of yore that is drenched in mayo and leads to sighs of "this again". This is fresh, summer pasta salad! Read on for the deets



What you'll need:
(adapted from Cooking Light)
- 1 box seashell shaped pasta (really any shape like rotini, ziti, etc. will do)
- 4 Summer squash (I mixed squash and zucchini), chopped into 1 -    
   1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 6 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
- 4 ounces gouda or havarti cheese, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Let's make it!
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box subtracting 2 minutes of the cooking time (i.e. if box says 11 minutes, cook it for 9 minutes)

3) While pasta cooks, place prosciutto in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until crisp in 400 degree oven. **I put it on a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet so more fast will drain and it crisps better**

4) With one minute left to go on the cooking time, throw in your squash. Finish cooking for the final minute. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool.

5) Combine pasta mixture, onion and cheese in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Stir.

6) In a small bowl, combine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard and rosemary. Whisk to combine. Add mixture to pasta and toss gently.

7) Just before serving, crumble crispy prosciutto into salad and toss gently.

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