Tortellini Pasta Salad
This is the best pasta salad Ive ever had. This recipe is from my friends family member. When we go on our family camping trips I always make this salad because it keeps well and is a nice main or side dish. Filling and delicious!
This is the best pasta salad Ive ever had. This recipe is from my friends family member. When we go on our family camping trips I always make this salad because it keeps well and is a nice main or side dish. Filling and delicious!
- 1 12oz package cheese tortellini pasta costco sells double packs
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil drained
- 2 or 3 small jars marinated artichoke hearts drained
- 1 large container grape tomatoes halved
- 1 jar pitted black olives
- 1 jar pitted kalamata olives
- 1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil according to your taste
- 1 jar roasted red peppers in a jar, in oil drained cut in small pieces
- 1/2 cup parmasean cheese - according to your taste--but don't overdo since it is salty
- 1 to 2 zucchini slice thin circles and then cut
- 1 bottle favorite italian dressing
- 1 to 2 teaspoons cracked pepper optional
- 1 cup pepperoni slices optional
- Carbohydrate 25.663 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 15.488 g
- Fiber 6.38000020980835 g
- Protein 5.566 g
- Saturated Fat 2.0823 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (110g)
- Sodium 292.6 mg
- Sugar 19.2829997901916 g
- Trans Fat 1.6104 g
- Calories 234 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the pasta according to the directions.
- Do not overcook.
- Drain immediately and run cold water over it, drain well.
- I place the pasta on paper towels and let them drain/dry completely.
- Dried pasta will absorb the flavors much better.
- Place the dried pasta in a large pot.
- Add all the other ingredients and stir gently as you add them.
- Put the Italian dressing in last since oils come from the sun dried tomatoes, roasted pepers and artichoke hearts--you don't want to flood the salad with dressing.
- I like to make the salad the day before serving and put the pot in the refrig.
- The flavors blend well with time.
- You may have to add a little more Italian dressing before serving since the pasta aborbs lots of the juices.
- Approx. 1 hour before serving, put your salad in a serving bowl, can sprinkle top with a little more dried basis (or fresh basil), little parmasean cheese, cracked pepper if you wish.
- The flavors are better at room temperature.
- You will be surprised how big your salad will be after you mix all these items.
- I used two 12-oz packages for the party (for 30+ people).
- And. . .the salad is not limited to the ingredients I have listed above---you can add other veggies that you like.
- I have gone down the Italian section of the supermarket and have added jars of garden salad, green olives--anything that looks yummy (make sure you drain the juices)
- Enjoy!
Why does a cold pasta dish sometimes turn completely soggy by the time it reaches the table? Starch molecules inside boiled pasta act like dry sponges, aggressively drinking up any available moisture when they cool down. If the tortellini enters the mixing bowl holding residual boiling water or surface dampness, that water dilutes the dressing and breaks the emulsion before the starches can absorb the flavorful oils from the artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes instead. Thoroughly draining the pasta and patting it dry on absorbent paper towels removes external water so the interior structure prioritizes flavorful vinegars and fats. Cheese tortellini requires careful monitoring during boiling because filled pasta can rupture if the water maintains a violent, rolling boil that batters the delicate dough seams. Drop the heat to a gentle simmer once the pasta goes into the pot, watching for the moment the tortellini floats to the surface and the dough loses its chalky, opaque center when tested with the tip of a paring knife. Chilling the mixed salad overnight allows the porous pasta to absorb aromatic compounds from the olives and roasted peppers, though the cold temperature will solidify certain oils. Pulling the bowl from the refrigerator one hour prior to serving brings the fats back to a liquid state and restores the full aromatic profile of the dried basil and parmesan cheese.
