Tortellini Chopped Salad
As you will quickly learn in this space, I am not very inspired in the kitchen. I am, however, married to a fantastic cook, and will be his sous-chef (or wine drinker and pandora DJ) for life. We had family in town this weekend for a wedding and I urged Sam to keep it simple. He accepted the challenge and threw this old favorite together but made a few tweaks. He served it room temperature as a side to chicken cutlets and it was a huge hit and probably one of my favorite side dishes. After leftovers on Monday and Tuesday, I asked him to make it again tonight! It is sweater season after all...
Recipe:
1lb Cheese Tortellini (fresh is best if you can find it!)
1 jar of artichoke hearts, chopped
1 pint of grape tomatos, quartered
1 8oz container of fresh mozzarella pearls/cielegine, halved
4 whole roasted red peppers, chopped (approx 1/2 jar)
2oz hard pepperoni, diced
2oz dry salami, diced
3 tbsp pesto
2tbsp of hot peppers, diced
2 tbsp of pine nuts, whole
Bring 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add salt if desired.
Add Tortellini. After water returns to a boil, cook for 5 minutes to until it floats. (Stir occasionally).
Drain gently and let cool, saving some pasta water
Mix all chopped ingredients and toss with the tortellini.
Serve in a large dish over fresh arugula, top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and finish with balsamic glaze
Enjoy!
