Sunday, January 10, 2010

Warm Basil Tortellini Salad


Although I named this dish "Warn" basil tortellini salad, this dish can also be served cold. I personally like the warm version of this salad. I wish I could say I made the Tortellinis myself but I bought a refrigerated package. There are so many kinds of tortellinis out there. We bought whole wheat cheese tortellinis. They were very tasty and flavorful. I added different kinds of vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red sweet peppers, and carrots. And the fresh basil makes this dish even more exciting! I used low fat Italian dressing for the sauce but you may use mayonnaise or other salad dressings.


Warm Basil Tortellini Salad

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 9-oz package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup bottled artichoke hearts, cut into bite sizes
2-3 small red or orange sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup low fat Italian salad dressing
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
Milk (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions: Drain pasta.
 
2. In a medium sized sauce pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, sweet peppers, carrots, and artichoke hearts and stir frequently until the garlic starts to brown. Add the Italian dressing, the basil, and milk and stir until the sauce almost comes to boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and add black pepper and stir.

3. In a large bowl, add the cooked, warm pasta and broccoli. Pour the sauce over the pasta mixture and stir gently to coat. Add the fresh tomatoes and stir until well mixed.

4. Before serving, you may add more milk to moisten. 

Variation:

-You may add 3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons pine nuts to the pasta salad.

-For cold tortellini salad, you may skip all the heating instructions and use raw vegetables. I had the left-over salad the next day and it was also very delicious when it was cold. :)




20 comments:

  1. I love your site it's so welcoming and very professional. You have all of my favorites and I truly enjoyed visiting here for the first time. I shall return for a bite of more. Thank you for sharing. Cheers, PT

    Come visit us again at http://ptsaldari.posterous.com/ Two new articles, one from a chef and one about being a chef.

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  2. That's a beautiful dish. Would be great for lunch. My children would love that.

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  3. Beautiful and delicious looking one dish meal!

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  4. I like my tortellini being served cold, but this warm version looks so yum!

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  5. I LOVE tortellini. I just made a tortellini soup and now I'm semi-obsessed. they're so good. i bet i would love this salad. and combined with broccoli? i can't wait to make it!

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  6. Sook, this is another splendid dish. You are awesome!

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  7. WOW! Another delicious meal and nice clicks too!

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  8. This looks fantastic! I would love to have this for lunch today.

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  9. This is my first visit to yr blog and i am sure to be a regular:) The Salad looks inviting:)
    Cheers and Do visit,
    Rachana

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  10. I love the fresh basil and black pepper - delightful combination. Just found your blog, and really happy to be here for the ride!

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  11. This is just so homey and delicious! Sometimes we all need a bit of help with store bought tortellinis !YUM!

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  12. I love tortellini in a pasta salad and this looks so pretty!! Sounds like a wonderful lunch :D

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  13. I love that salad! I would like to eat it cold.

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  14. Kim,
    I think this salad makes a great lunch too! :)

    Erica,
    I like it warm and cold. For dinner, I wanted something warm. And it worked well. :)

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  15. What a lovely blog you have, and beautiful pics of this tortellini salad! Sounds filling, healthy, and delicious...the perfect meal!

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  16. Rachana,
    Thanks very much for visiting my blog! Hope to see you again!

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  17. What a delicious salad! It's just full of goodies. I love that you can eat it hot or cold.

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  18. This recipe sounds so tasty. My girlfriend has been looking for new salad ideas to have for lunch.

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