Tortellini Salad With Fresh Herb & Tomato Vinaigrette

CIndytc's Note:

I saw this being made on Food Network. The presentation was fabulous, so I want to try this....it feeds alot but I am sure you can cut in half easy.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 15

Yield: 15.0

• 2 lbs packaged tortellini
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups tomatoes , freshly diced
• 4 tablespoons tarragon leaves , chopped
• 4 tablespoons basil leaves , chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley , leaves minced
• 2 shallots , minced
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 ½ lbs fresh mozzarella balls , sliced 1/4 inch thick into approximately 30 slices
• 4 cups arugula
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions. When fully cooked, drain and toss with the 2 T. olive oil and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, in a nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, herbs, shallots, lemon juice, and remaining 1 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper to combine. When the tortellini have cooled to room temperature toss with the tomato vinaigrette.
3. To serve, line the perimeter of a large serving platter with overlapping slices of fresh mozzarella. Spoon the tortellini salad in the center and scatter the arugula leaves over the top.
4. Sprinkle with fresh shredded Parmesan on top if you like.

Reviews

[spiritussancto]

this was tasty but i did make some major changes. first of all, adding a cup and a half of oil to any one dish is insane. i drizzled with a little bit, added about 1/3 cup low-fat mayo for creaminess and skipped the rest. i also skipped the tarragon as i don't like it and used half lemon juice, half balsamic vinegar. think this looks just as pretty with everything tossed together in a bowl. i used cheese-stuffed tortellini and bocaccini as my fresh mozza. white onions work just as well as scallions. next time i might use spinach instead of arugula for a gentler texture. i also don't think the parsley added a good aspect so i'd skip that and instead add a sprinkle of good parmesan. this also might work with a bit of fresh dill, oregano, or thyme. i will make it again, but not as written.