Tortellini Salad with Tomato Garlic Dressing

By á-73576

Recipe is designed to serve a buffet party or tailgate table but may easily be halved or quartered

Ingredients

• For the Salad:
• 4 10-12 ounce bags frozen tortellini, cooked in boiling water until just done then cooled on a long baking tray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil stirred into the tortellinis while cooling, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil when salad ingredients are mixed
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, not in oil, sliced thinly, then halved
• 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved, any larger tomatoes in the batch quartered
• 1 16 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered then cut in half
• 6 scallions, green part included, thin, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, sliced chiffonade, then cut in half
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, and more to taste
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• For the Dressing:
• 6 medium size tomatoes, cored, cut in half, grated on a hand grater down to the skin, discard skin and transfer grated tomatoes to a mixing bowl
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/8 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

For the Tortellini Salad:
Into a long rectangular dish or container that has a fitted lid, gently combined the cooked, cooled tortellinis mixed with a tablespoon olive oil, the sun dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and scallions. Stir the other one tablespoon of olive oil throughout the salad then fold in the fresh herbs, along with the salt and pepper, refrigerate until a few hours before serving.

For the Dressing
Scrape the grated tomatoes into a large glass mixing bowl then stir in the chopped garlic. Pour in the vinegar,drizzle in olive oil a little at a time whisking to incorporate with the tomato mixture. Add in the salt and pepper, check seasoning adding a little more salt and pepper to suited taste. Refrigerate until 3 hours before serving.

Salad Assembly:
Three hours before serving whisk dressing together then pour half into the Tortellini Salad and stir throughout. Immediately before serving salad pour in the remaining dressing and stir, adding in any extra seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer Tortellini Salad from container to a large serving platter lined with fresh greens if desired.

Notes
If the tortellini salad is mixed with the dressing too far in advance the tortellini will absorb the dressing taking the flavor from the tortellini's as well as losing the bright red color of the red tomatoes in the dressing.