Basil Rizoni pasta salad

I LOVE this salad and the farmer eats it even though it has paraphernalia in it, so it must be good! I use this recipe a lot for summer BBQs and especially when I am taking a salad somewhere. There are so many variations on this salad, and I promise to share my friend Pip's version- which is fabulous as well! You can make a big brew of this one because the best thing is that it keeps so what doesn't get eaten makes for a great lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g dried risoni pasta
• 3 rashers of bacon chopped finely
• 1 red onion chopped
• 100g feta, crumbled or cubed
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 60g (1/4 cup) bought basil pesto 

METHOD:
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water following packet directions or until al dente. Refresh under cold running water. Drain. Set aside to cool completely. In a pan cook bacon and onion, the onion will need less time as you want it to maintain its purple colour. Let this cool completely as well.
Combine the risoni pasta and the basil pesto- you will be able to stir it in to cover all of the pasta, if it is particularly thick, you can add a tblsp of water or lemon juice to make it stir through a bit easier.

In a salad bowl combine the bacon, onion, feta, tomatoes and pasta mixture. Toss to combine.

TIPS:

• Make it ahead: Make up to 4 days ahead. Divide among airtight containers & store in the fridge. 
• This recipe is perfect for catering for big numbers because you can multiply it really easily
• Get creative, there are heaps of variations of this recipe

Enjoy xx
A