Spring Vegetable Tortellini Salad

Now that spring is in full swing and the warm weather is here, I'm constantly on the look out for new dishes to try that  don't require me to use my oven. Since I love pasta salads, especially when they are made with tortellini, as soon as I saw this one, I knew it was bound to be on our table. Since Joel is obsessed with prosciutto, I knew that this would win bonus points with him, too. I made this salad to go along with some grilled sausages, since I'm apparently all about the side dishes (at least that is what Joel says), but I think this would also be a great stand alone meal on a hot day in the summer. Light, refreshing, and delicious--the best words to describe this salad. 

For the Salad:
9 ounces Fresh Cheese Tortellini (I used a 12 ounce frozen bag…turned out perfectly)
1/2 pound Asparagus, woody ends removed
1/2 cup Frozen Peas
2-3 slices Prosciutto, chopped 
1/4 cup Herbs, chopped (I used parsley and thyme) 
Dressing, recipe below 

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Cut the asparagus into 2-inch pieces and add them to the tortellini for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and asparagus and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again. Toss with the peas and set aside. In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the prosciutto until crispy and lightly browned, stirring often. Drain on a paper towel. In a large bowl, toss the tortellini, asparagus, peas, and herbs. Top with the dressing and stir until combined. Sprinkle with the prosciutto and serve. Serves 4.

For the Dressing:
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Tiny squeeze of Honey

 Combine the zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, and honey in a jar with a lid. Make sure that the lid is tightly secured and shake the jar until the ingredients have combined. 

SOURCE: Pink Parsley

Pasta Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Green Olivida

Happy Memorial Day! This month for Secret Recipe Club, I was assigned to Amy's blog, Fearless Homemaker. I absolutely loved reading through her blog. She seems like such a fun girl…and you have to read about her surprise wedding. How awesome! After bookmarking several recipes, it all came down to this pasta salad, in honor of the kickoff to outdoor grilling and picnic meals! I did swap green olives for a mixture of Greek olives, because that is all that my grocery store had in their olive bar container. (In the process of making this pasta salad, I discovered that a cherry pitter does NOT make a good olive pitter like the woman at the kitchen store told me!) When all was said and done, this pasta salad was every bit as good as I imagined it would be. In fact, I'm looking forward to having another bowl this afternoon, before I walk down to my corner to watch the Memorial Day Parade! Thanks for a great recipe, Amy! 

1 Garlic Clove, peeled
2 cups Pitted Green Olives, coarsely chopped and divided
3 tablespoons Capers, drained
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 pound Pasta (I used gemelli)
2 pints Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved (I only used 1)
8 ounces Small Fresh Mozzarella Balls
2 tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Put the garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add 1 cup of chopped olives, capers, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pulse about 6 times to chop coarsely. With the machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup of oil, forming a coarse puree (almost like tapenade texture). Transfer the olive mixture to a bowl. Stir in the remaining cup of olives and season to taste with salt and pepper. (This mixture can be made up to 3 days ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate). Cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and allow to cool (I ran my pasta under cold water to cool it down). Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the pasta and toss to coat (I skipped this). Add the olive mixture, tomatoes, mozzarella, and oregano to the pasta and toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. 

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