I am going off track from my usually very serious hubs and adding this great recipe for you all to enjoy.

This pasta dish is served cold but it is for Dinner! Oh yes, you can serve it as well as a passing dish at a get-together. So very good on a hot summer day as well for a luncheon.

But, yep thats right, it's not a side dish in the traditional sense of the word, salad. It is a main course served best with a side of French or Itallian bread. Yum. :)

This is my mom's recipe for which I have altered somewhat. It serves a great many people I would have to say, at least 6 or more. But I say this quite honestly, it is so delicious that you keep going back for more so the left overs are fabulous! You can cut this recipe in half as well for a smaller family size or for two. Which I also have done when preparing this recipe for my immediate family of the three of us.

Preperation:

A large bowl (A mixing bowl or large salad bowl is best)

A large spoon for mixing the ingredients

A large pasta pot, or cooking pot

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Ingredients you will need:

2 boxes/bags of Bow Tie (Farfalle) Pasta

2- 6 oz. packages of Crumbled Feta cheese

2- 14fl oz. bottles of Creamy Ceasars Dressing ( add the whole of one and the other in an amount according to preference. Some people like more, some less)

You can also substitue the ceasars dressing for Creamy or regular Itallian Dressing. Both the Ceasars and Itallian are just as delicious.

2-3 6oz. packages of Refrigerated Grilled Chicken (I usually buy the ready made for this recipe. It comes already sliced into cubes or slices. and it also comes in a variety of flavors including south western etc. It is best to buy one that is not specifically "flavored" as this recipe has its own flavor from the dressing. So just Grilled sliced or cubed chicken then is best.)

2 small cans of sliced black olives (depending on your taste, some people do not care for olives )

1 jar of Roasted Red Peppers

1 small 8oz. bag of finely shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pasta pot add water. (fill to 1/2)

Bring water to boil then add Bow Tie Pasta

Best way I have found to "test" if Pasta is done and you can use the technique with just about any Pasta, even spagetti is to take a piece out ( And no, do not fling it to a wall! LOL) Take it and cut it in half. Look at the center, if you see a speck or specks of white it is not done all the way. Some prefer a more "Al dente" Pasta for some dishes. But in this recipe, the pasta should be cooked until soft.

After Pasta is cooked, drain then set strainer, Pasta and all under cool running water and stir gently to coat all of the pasta evenly as to cool it all evenly. This should take only a few minutes to do as the pasta will cool rather quickly.

Once you are satisfied that the pasta is completely cool and drained of water, you can now place it in the mixing/salad bowl

Take the refrigerated cooked chicken slices or cubes and place all into mixing bowl. I will sometimes cut the slices as they can be raher large, in half to make them more "bite size".

Next add the crumbled feta cheese all the packages. Again, sometimes, although this is rather "messy" I will take the feta and crumble it a bit more.

Take your large mixing spoon and gently fold into the pasta these two ingredients.

Next add the dressing. Remember to add the whole bottle then the second, slowly according to how much you would prefer. Also it key here to note that as you place the left overs in the refrigerator over night, the pasta will absorb much of the dressing you added. This will make it a bit "drier" then it had been when you first prepared and served it. Adding a little more dressing will brighten the flavor as well as cut through the dryness.

Again, gently fold in the dressing to the pasta, chicken and feta.

Now add your sliced black olives and the red peppers. Very important here: You will need to cut up the red peppers into small pieces. They have a great flavor but can be a bit overpowering to the pallette in this dish. I prefer to add the whole jar if it is small, but again, I cut up the peppers into small bite size pieces.

fold all ingredients together gently.

Sprinkle lightly over the top with finely shredded cheddar cheese

Chill for 1/2 hour and serve.

Best served with as I mentioned above with warm or room temperature Itallian or French Bread.

ENJOY! :)