Backyard Beach: Italian Deli Pasta Salad

Before Thatkid was born, Thatboy and I had a Fourth of July tradition to spend the entire day at the beach.  We'd pack food, get their early for a good spot, stay for fireworks, and then I'd fall asleep in the car as we sat in packed parking lots waiting to get on crowded freeways to get home.

It just didn't seem sustainable with a small child, so once Thatbaby was born, we started a new tradition of spending the Fourth of July in the backyard with a blow up pool, lots of margaritas, and going to the neighbors to watch fireworks from their front yard.

Last year we went away for the Fourth of July.  Beach, no traffic, and it was so nice we thought we would make that our new annual tradition. But obviously this year that wasn't going to happen.  So we went back to old traditions and turned our backyard into a beach.

The nice thing about your backyard being a beach, is that unlike the real beach, you don't have to be in the water with the kids.

And there's still plenty of lying and soaking up the sun.

We made watermelon coolers with watermelon, lime, cucumber, and ice.  And then drank them all day.  Because fruity drinks feel like a vacation all on their own.

We also turned our water table into a sand table with kinetic sand and lots of sand toys to build castles or sand creatures.

Just like any other beach day, we packed a picnic lunch that would be easy to eat - chicken wraps, watermelon, and pasta salad.

And in the afternoon we broke out the chips and guac.

We spent the whole afternoon reading (grown ups) or playing in the pool (kids) until it was dinner.

Hot dogs, potato salad, grilled corn, and more watermelon.

After we made a "beach bonfire" and made smores, which is a pretty good way to end the the day.

The sleeper hit of the day was the pasta salad I made to have with lunch.  And Thatboy and I had it again the next day for lunch.  And probably would have had it the day after, except we ate had already eaten it all.

I think the secret is the giardiniera, which I would never have thought to put in pasta salad, but there was just something about that salty, briney flavor that had both of us going back for more.  And then Thatboy asked that I bookmark this recipe so I could make it over and over and over again.  So it sounds like we came out of this with a new tradition after all.

Italian Deli Pasta Salad (From Food Network)

 1lb penne, cooked

1/3 cup mayo

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

16-oz jar giardiniera, drained and chopped

1 cup diced provolone

1 cup diced salami

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1. Mix the mayo, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a large bowl.
2. Add the pasta and toss.
3. Add the giardiniera, provolone, salami, parley, and basil.  Toss.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.