Tortellini Salad With Fresh Basil and Tomatoes in Vinaigrette

Submitted by Maumeeprof

"I took an idea from Michael Chiarello on the Food Network, and tweaked it according to a favorite vinaigrette recipe of mine. This is a delightful main-dish salad on a hot summer night. Grill up some foccacia, brushed with a good olive oil like Frantoia or Ravida, and serve it in pie-shaped wedges alongside. Good eats!"

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 12-14 1/2 cup servings
• Serves: 12-16

ingredients

• For the Vinaigrette

• 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar (good quality)
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (basic, not the good stuff)

• Salad Ingredients

• 16 ounces dried cheese tortellini
• 1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (the good stuff)
• 2 (16 ounce) containers cherry tomatoes or (16 ounce) containers campari tomatoes, quartered
• 8 -10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 6 -8 scallions, sliced
• 1⁄3 cup fresh basil, torn

directions

1. For the Vinaigrette: Whir first five ingredients in blender until smooth. Drizzle thin stream of olive oil in until all is emulsified. Set aside.
2. Boil tortellini according to directions, drain, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Spread cooked pasta out on a jelly roll pan, drizzle with the good olive oil and sprinkle with pepper; stir up to coat tortellini with oil. This prevents the pasta from going glue-y when added to the rest of the salad ingredients. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to a couple hours.
3. In a very large bowl, place quartered tomatoes, feta cheese crumbles, scallions, and pour about half the vinaigrette over, tossing gently. Refrigerate the tomato mixture until 2-3 hours before serving.
4. About 2-3 hours before serving, toss the oiled tortellini with the tomato mixture, add a bit more dressing, if you think it needs it. Refrigerate. Just before serving, toss the fresh basil with the tortellini-tomato mixture. Serve.

Reviews

[Bob Lazar]

Tasty.

 

[GaylaV]

This is a delightfully different salad and was well received for Thanksgiving dinner. I was amazed at how thick the dressing got and it did not have an oily taste to it even though there is a lot of oil in the dressing. Don't skimp on the Feta as it really is a highlight. Thanks for sharing your recipe. This was made for Fall PAC 2008.

 

[boardgirl148]

Wow - this was fantastic! I don't usually like pasta salad but this was so, so good I wanted to make it again the next day. I wasn't sure if the Feta would appeal to my picky eaters, so I substituted small chunks of mozzarella and parmesan. Also, I added some diced green pepper for a bit of crunch. This has become my new summer picnic recipe! PS - I have now completed a Feta taste test in my household, and everyone approved, so next time I will try it with the Feta instead. :)