Aug 13, 2009

Cheese Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a recipe I stole from my friend Sara. I love taking it to summer BBQ's. It's always a huge hit! (I really love the cheese tortellini and the artichokes). It'd be really good with sundried tomatoes as well, or with summer sausage or salami.

Cheese Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, quartered 1 (10 ounce) cont. grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise 1 (6 ounce) can medium black olives, drained, sliced in half lengthwise 1 green or red bell pepper, diced 1 (20 ounce) package cheese-filled egg tortellini, cooked al dente, drained (fresh or frozen) 1/3 cup olive oil, more if needed 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, the kind in the can 1 (8 ounce) jar basil pesto 1/2 teaspoon salt, more if needed 2 teaspoons minced garlic 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed (you can also use sliced string cheese) 8 ounces (half of a 1 lb. box) rotini pasta, cooked al dente, drained (multicolored pasta looks best!)

Directions

Cook pastas, set aside to drain and cool a bit. In large bowl or punch bowl, add rest of ingredients, folding gently til well mixed. Gently fold in pastas well. Adjust seasoning to taste, meaning, add more salt, parmesan, etc…Serve immediately, or refrigerate. *If you make this say a day ahead of time, you'll need to "refresh" this. Just add a bit more olive oil, salt and parmesan before serving. This salad is best, though, room temp, or even slightly warm.

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