Italian Macaroni Salad with Ham and Vegetables

Some nights are more hectic than others.  Some nights you're more exhausted than others.  Here's a great solution for those nights.  Especially if those nights are in the middle of summertime.

While the pasta cooks, you can prep the veggies and ham.  An added bonus is you can simply start with a boxed pasta mix.  I used the Homestyle version.

Prepare the pasta as directed on the package and rinse well under cool water. Let drain.  Listed below are the ingredients I added.  You could certainly used cubed, cooked chicken instead of ham and adjust the amount and/or types of vegetables you like.

1/4 cup green peas 

1/4 shredded matchstick carrots

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup chopped ham

10 grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 t. red pepper flakes

2 T. chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese