summer pasta salad

i'm loading up on the carbs this week.  can you tell?

this is an old family favorite.  i use bottled italian dressing because it's easy, not because it's nutritious.

summer pasta salad
1 lb chicken breast, seasoned and grilled (i use lemon pepper seasoning)
16 oz of your favorite pasta, cooked, drained and chilled
2 heads of broccoli, chopped and blanched*
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
grape tomatoes (as many as you like)
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 bottle kraft free zesty italian dressing
cheddar cheese, cubed (optional .. the kids love it)

*i blanch the broccoli during the last minute of cooking the pasta.  throw it in the boiling water, boil for 1 minute and then drain it with the pasta immediately rinsing under cold water to stop the cooking.  blanching will bring the color out in the broccoli which makes this dish so pretty.  i personally prefer my raw veggie blanched anyway so ...

once everything is cooked, cooled, chopped, rinsed, etc.  mix it all together in a big bowl.  the leftovers are amazingly delicious.

p.s.  my mom really likes olives in hers.  feel free to add whatever you wish.
p.p.s  i didn't run the nutritional info.  it's healthy, especially with wheat pasta.
p.p.p.s could easily be made vegetarian