If you’re like many of us, you are always trying to think of a new dish to bring to your next, festive get-together or to serve at your own party. It’s always summertime somewhere; and we certainly have our share of warm weather here in Florida, so how about a new twist on pasta salad?

You can use regular or tri-colored rotini pasta, but that’s not the twist… 

Go ahead and cook your pasta and let it cool. You can add a little olive oil while you’re waiting so that it won’t stick together.

Add diced, cooked chicken pieces which have cooled as well.

Then add some sliced, red seedless grapes for vibrant color. And if it happens to be the holidays, red AND green seedless grapes are always fun.

Chop up some celery and scallions and add them to your mixture.

For a surprisingly delightful texture, toss in some chopped cashews. You can substitute chopped walnuts, but cashews have always been the favored nut with my nuts.

Also add some small cubes of pineapple for a refreshing kick. You can use canned pineapple, but fresh pineapple from Perrine’s Produce is definitely a sweeter addition. 

Stick it all together with equal parts mayonnaise and ranch dressing. 

I promise you, this elegant side dish is a crowd pleaser for sure, and a pretty one too! Oh, and all of the fresh fruits and vegetables you will need (and so very much more!) can be conveniently and affordably found at Perrine’s Produce.