Deliciously Different Pasta Salad

Submitted by Midwest Maven

"This really is a deliciously different pasta salad that even the hard to please members of my family just loved. It has alot of great Mediterranean flavors going on in there, that blend together beautifully, for a salad I know you'll love too! **Cooking time is chilling time.**"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup prosciutto, chopped
• 2⁄3 cup basil pesto
• 1⁄2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper (for dressing)
• 20 ounces cheese tortellini, cooked and cooled
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into bite sized chunks (about 1 1/2 c.)
• 1⁄2 cup green onion, sliced
• 1 cup cucumber, seeded and cubed
• 1⁄3 cup sun-dried tomato, chopped
• 1⁄3 cup pimiento, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste (for finished salad, if needed)

directions

1. In a hot non-stick skillet over medium/high heat saute the chopped prosciutto until in gets browned and crispy. (use a spray or two of cooking spray if it starts to stick at all).
2. Set pan aside to cool while you make the dressing.
3. Whisk together the pesto, Greek yogurt, white vinegar, dill, garlic powder, and salt and pepper (to taste).
4. Add the crispy bits of prosciutto, the cooked and cooled tortellini, mozzarella, green onions, cucumber, sundried tomatoes, and pimento, and mix well to coat.
5. Don't worry if the dressing is a little thin right now, after chilling it with thicken slightly and cling to the salad better.
6. Add any more salt and pepper to the finished salad now to taste, if you like.
7. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
8. Before serving stir the salad to redistribute the dressing, and enjoy!

Reviews

[EmmyDuckie]

Your description was right, I did love it. This is good stuff. The only thing I did differently was skip the salt, but that's just personal taste. Awesome job!

 

[GirlEatsWorld]

Very good effort for the contest! If I could give this 4.5 stars I would, but since it's a contest recipe and there were a few things I'd change I had to go with 4. I used fresh refrigerated 4 cheese tortellini and Classico brand pesto (which is very good btw). The dressing combo of yogurt with the pesto is fabulous. It clung to the tortellini nicely and was just the right amount to coat the pasta, not too little and not swimming in it, with great flavor and texture. The tortellini I used were large and rich, and for me the addition of mozzarella made it almost too much cheese. I would leave it out, or use a bow tie or other type of unfilled pasta and keep the cheese. Loved the cuc's and especially the sun dried tomatoes! Regarding the prosciutto, I think I'd use a different meat, maybe pepperoni or a good salami type meat, as I found that browning the prosciutto made it a little too tough for the salad for my taste. Watch the addition of salt-with the saltiness of the prosciutto, and the salt in the prepared pesto, I don't think it's even a necessary ingredient, but that might be subjective to my taste. I will defnitely keep the dressing idea in mind for future recipes! Overall, a wonderful entry for the contest and I wish you luck!

 

[pamela t.]

Loved all the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and prosciutto. I made my own pesto beforehand with fresh basil from my kitchen herb garden. Just yummy. The cheese tortellini were good and unexpected. You could substitute corkscrew or any type of pasta to save money or calories. I liked the green onions and pimientos also. Very good. Good luck in RSC!