Cold Tortellini Salad

There are hundreds of variations to this recipe. Don’t believe me? Type it into Google and see what you find. I barely follow recipes as it is so I just made up my own for this. This was incredibly easy to make, is packed full of veggies and was the perfect dinner on a hot summer evening.

Ingredients

1.5 to 2 lbs of frozen cheese tortellini

1 orange bell pepper

5 to 6 stalks of asparagus

1/3 of a head of broccoli

5 oz of sharp provolone

5 oz of fresh mozzarella

4 oz. Italian salad dressing (I make my own with Good Seasonings)

Olive oil (optional)

Directions

Fill a large pot 2/3 of the way full with water, salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the frozen tortellini and cook according to directions on package (usually 3-5 minutes). Drain the tortellini. Lightly coat the tortellini with olive oil to keep them from sticking together (optional). Place in a bowl and let cool entirely. (I stuck them in the refrigerator and they were completely cool in under an hour.)

(Tim is a good sport and an excellent sous chef.)

Chop 1 inch off the bottom of the asparagus and then cut in half. Steam the asparagus for approximately 5 minutes or until bright green. Let cool entirely. (Again I just stuck them in the refrigerator.)

Chop peppers and broccoli and set aside.

Slice the mozzarella and then quarter.

In a large serving bowl mix tortellini, asparagus, peppers, broccoli and mozzarella. Add salad dressing and mix until all ingredients are coated.

I cubed the sharp provolone and threw it in with the rest of the ingredients, Tim said the flavor was too strong for him in the chunks of cheese and suggested that I make smaller chunks next time. You could do that or you could get a potato peeler and shave the cheese. If you decide to shave the cheese save this step until you’re ready to serve.

Let the pasta and veggies with salad dressing sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Serve cold. We also had bread and butter with the salad.