Saturday, March 5, 2011

Simple Tortellini Salad - a favorite light dinner or lunch

I don't normally like pasta salads.  I find that most that I come across are too acidic and loaded with mayo (I'm not a big fan of mayo either).  This recipe is mayo-free.  It has been a favorite of mine for a few years now.  In it's original form, the recipe had 3 Tbs butter (instead of olive oil) and regular white pasta (instead of whole wheat) If you prefer to add the butter and white pasta instead, it's not as healthy, but still delicious.

3 Tbs of olive oil
2 pounds broccoli, stalks removed, heads cut into small florets
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds frozen whole wheat cheese tortellini
3 plum tomatoes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
Heat 1 Tbs oil in large skillet over medium
Add broccoli and garlic; season with salt and pepper
Cook, tossing occasionally, until broccoli is crisp tender (6-8 min)
If skillet gets too dry, add a little water

Cook tortellini in boiling water until al dente.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water
Return tortellini to pot
Add broccoli mixture, tomatoes, and remaining 2 Tbs oil
Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine
Gradually add enough reserved pasta water to create a sauce that lightly coats tortellini
Serve immediately

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

sounds great