Pasta Salad A La Greque - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 c. canned (not marinated) artichoke hearts (the smallest you can find)
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. homemade vinaigrette (recipe in book)
1/2 Tbsp. dried oregano or 1/2 c. fresh oregano leaves, washed and dried
1/2 tsp. dried basil or 1/2 c. fresh basil, washed and dried
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 lb. rotini or mixture of rotini and rigatoni
3/4 c. Kalamata olives, well drained (but not pitted)
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, coarsely crumbled into pieces no smaller than 1/4-inch
2 small yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 c. fresh parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced into rings

Preparation

Thoroughly rinse the artichoke hearts and let drain at least 15 minutes.
Place dressing, herbs and garlic in the bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade and process until herbs and garlic are finely chopped.
(Optional:
Herbs and garlic can be finely chopped by hand and whisked into dressing.)
Pour dressing into a large bowl.
Add the drained artichokes and let marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.