Tortellini Pasta Salad is a scrumptious summer time aspect dish or mild supper, studded with vivid, juicy tomatoes, recent candy corn, ribbons of basil, and a tremendous do-it-yourself, Parmesan-flecked French dressing!
Summer time is in full swing, and which means summer time produce is at its prime. And what higher technique to rejoice than with this attractive, delectable, Tortellini Pasta Salad that showcases the easiest flavors and colours of summer time?!
This superb recipe begins with tender cheese tortellini. Then you definitely merely toss in a number of the quintessential flavors of summer time: plump, juicy tomatoes, recent, candy corn sliced proper off the cob, ribbons of vivid inexperienced basil, a fast, do-it-yourself French dressing, and loads of salty Parmesan cheese.
Components
You will not consider that such scrumptious outcomes might be attained from such easy elements and such a simple preparation. However I am telling you…the key right here is utilizing recent, seasonal elements! I already talked about the first elements above, however listed here are a number of extra particulars about what you may must make this Tortellini Pasta Salad.
- Cheese tortellini. Boiled in salted water after which cooled. I usually begin with frozen tortellini, since I at all times have some within the freezer, however you’ll be able to positively use recent tortellini, for those who desire.
- Grape or cherry tomatoes. Halved or quartered, relying on their measurement. You are going for bite-sized items in your tortellini salad. As seen in these images, I typically use purple and yellow tomatoes for much more colour and visible curiosity!
- Contemporary corn kernels. Cooked and sliced proper off the cob. Scroll all the way down to the following heading for information on the best, tastiest, BEST means ever to cook dinner recent corn! And though I extremely advocate utilizing recent corn on this recipe, chances are you’ll substitute frozen/thawed corn if you cannot discover recent (or are attempting to avoid wasting time).
- Contemporary basil. Sliced right into a chiffonade. Once more, particular directions and images on the way to do that may be discovered under. 😉
- Contemporary Parmesan cheese. Grated. You may want some to toss into the pasta salad and a few to include into the do-it-yourself French dressing.
- EVOO, purple wine vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic salt, and freshly floor black pepper. For the flavorful and scrumptious do-it-yourself French dressing!
Contemporary Corn for the Win
I do know I mentioned it above, however recent corn on the cob takes this Tortellini Pasta Salad from nice to stupendous! I understand that it may be a ache to cook dinner recent corn when you need to take care of peeling away all the sticky, stringy silk. However by no means concern…I’ve found out the key for cooking recent corn that’s the EASIEST technique EVER! It eliminates the frustration and the mess! Ever since I found it, I’ve by no means cooked corn on the cob every other means.
The truth is, it is really easy that l not hesitate to make use of recent corn in recipes like this one just because I am afraid of the additional trouble. There isn’t any trouble on this technique, and the corn seems so completely tender, candy, and freshly crispy that frozen corn simply will not evaluate in a salad like this.
Okay, shameless plug over. 😉 Go take a look at the BEST technique to cook dinner recent corn << HERE!
How you can Chiffonade Basil
The Tortellini Pasta Salad recipe under instructs you to chiffonade the basil. Would you suppose I am bizarre if I advised you that I like chiffonading? I prefer to say it (chiffonade, chiffonade, CHIFFONADE!) and I love to do it. There’s one thing simply so satisfying about feeling that knife glide by means of the roll of basil to create all of these cute, tasty ribbons.
Okay…I’m bizarre. I embrace it. However in case you are new to chiffonading, here’s a pathetic however hopefully satisfactory picture tutorial.
- Stack some basil leaves.
- Roll tightly like a cigar.
- Maintain firmly when you slice thinly with a pointy knife…and make sure you preserve your fingers out of the best way!
See? Simple-peasy.
Additionally, notice that as a result of my knife wasn’t tremendous sharp, my basil appears a bit bruised alongside the perimeters. A really sharp knife will yield a extra aesthetically-pleasing chiffonade! Simply promise me you may watch out. 🙂
How you can Make Tortellini Pasta Salad
(The under images are supposed to be useful, however please consult with the recipe card on the backside of this publish for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
Now that we have lined the way to chiffonade basil, let’s make this Tortellini Pasta Salad, we could?
- Boil your cheese tortellini in well-salted water based on the instructions on the bundle. Drain and permit to chill.
- In a big salad bowl, add cooled tortellini, sliced tomatoes, recent corn kernels, recent basil chiffonade, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.
- Mix all the French dressing elements in a jar with a decent becoming lid. Seal and shake vigorously.
- Pour the French dressing over the tortellini salad and gently combine all elements till nicely mixed.
- Chill for a number of hours earlier than serving. Get pleasure from!
Suggestions, Methods, and Particular Tools
- As a little bit tip, extra-virgin olive oil can solidify when chilled (some explicit manufacturers extra so than others). So you may wish to permit time on your Tortellini Pasta Salad come to room temperature after which stir nicely earlier than serving.
- Alternatively, you’ll be able to decide to make use of a special neutral-flavored oil (that does not solidify when chilly) instead of the EVOO, reminiscent of canola or avocado oil.
- As one ultimate tip, any time I make a pasta salad recipe that requires chilling, I do not stir all of the French dressing into the pasta salad proper after I make it. Quite, I initially stir in simply sufficient dressing to coat the elements…possibly ¾ of the whole quantity. The rationale for it is because pasta salads have a tendency to soak up the dressing as they chill within the fridge. So after I pull my Tortellini Pasta Salad out of the fridge in preparation for serving, that is after I stir within the remaining reserved French dressing. This technique prevents a dry tortellini salad.
Significantly, y’all…how attractive is that this Tortellini Pasta Salad?
It is one among our all-time summertime favorites, and I hope it turns into one among yours, too.
Extra Summer time Salads
- 1 (22 to 24-ounce) bundle frozen OR recent cheese tortellini
- 16 ounces (about 3 cups) sliced cherry OR grape tomatoes , halved or quartered, relying on measurement
- 2 ½ cups recent corn kernels, cooked and sliced from the cob (roughly 14 ounces of corn, which comes from about 4 cobs)
- ¼ cup recent basil leaves, sliced in a chiffonade
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly floor black pepper
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil OR one other neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tablespoon purple wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely minced recent basil
- ½ teaspoon recent minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- Freshly floor black pepper
Stop your display from going darkish
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Boil cheese tortellini in salted water based on bundle instructions. Drain and funky. In a big salad bowl, add tortellini, sliced tomatoes, recent corn kernels, recent basil chiffonade, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, and pepper.
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Mix all French dressing elements in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shut the jar and shake vigorously till emulsified. Pour over tortellini salad and gently combine all elements till nicely mixed. Chill for a number of hours earlier than serving.
- This technique for cooking recent corn yields good texture and taste with out having to struggle any sticky, stringy, messy silk.
- Cooked recent corn is very really helpful for this Tortellini Pasta Salad, however frozen (thawed) corn could also be substituted.
- To chiffonade basil: (1) Stack some basil leaves. (2) Roll tightly like a cigar. (3) Maintain firmly whereas very rigorously slicing into skinny ribbons with a pointy knife.
- You possibly can additional mince a few of your basil chiffonade into smaller items to go within the French dressing.
- As an alternative of shaking the French dressing in a jar, chances are you’ll decide to whisk it in a bowl or whiz it collectively in a mini meals processor.
- Since olive oil and lots of different oils solidify when chilled, make sure you permit time on your Tortellini Pasta Salad to come back to room temperature after which stir nicely earlier than serving.
- Alternatively, you’ll be able to decide to make use of a special neutral-flavored oil (that does not solidify when chilly) instead of the EVOO, reminiscent of canola or avocado oil.
- Once I make pasta salads that require chilling, I usually do not stir in all the dressing initially. I initially solely stir in sufficient dressing to coat the elements, which is possibly ¾ of the whole French dressing. Then after I’m able to serve my pasta salad, I let it come to room temperature and stir within the the rest of the French dressing (or as a lot as I deem needed) simply earlier than serving. This prevents a dry pasta salad, since cooked pasta will take up a variety of the dressing in the course of the chilling time.
Energy: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 15g | Fats: 19g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Ldl cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 637IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 2mg
Submit initially printed on Might 24, 2014, and up to date on July 30, 2020, June 19, 2024.
