We went to three parties this weekend — quite a busy schedule for our one year old! But, the best part of summer is hanging out with friends while the weather is nice, so we were happy to let her stay up past her bedtime. She really seemed to enjoy all the festivities and attention.

My mom made a delicious pasta salad on Friday night, and so I thought I’d make something similar for last night’s BBQ with friends. It turned out really good – and it was even better today when I had the leftovers for lunch!

1 lb bowtie pasta
12 asparagus spears
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
Package cherry tomatoes, halved
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper
A good bunch of basil, chiffonade
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus spears and cook until bright green (about 2 minutes). Remove and immediately put into a bowl of ice water. Add broccoli to boiling water and also cook until bright green. Remove and add to the bowl of ice water.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Remove asparagus from ice water and chop into 1 inch spears. Put asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes and lemon zest into a large serving bowl. Stir. Add in pasta and stir again.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk well and pour over pasta & vegetables. Stir to combine and evenly coat the pasta. Add in Parmesan and basil. Toss and enjoy!