Tortellini Salad

Tortellini Salad

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Chill Time: 30 mins- 1 hr Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredient

3 c cheese & spinach tortellini 

1 small zucchini, sliced thin

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

2 c grape tomatoes, halved

1 bundle of green onions thinly sliced

1 head of broccoli blanched, chilled, and cut into bite size pieces

1 jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

¼ c chopped dill

½ c of shaved fresh parmesan cheese

½ - 1 c salad dressing (your choice: ranch, vinegar or any you like will work)

Instructions

Start by cooking the tortellini according to the instructions on the package to reach al dente. Once cooked, drain and rinse it under cold water to prevent further cooking. Toss it with some olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.

In a separate pot, bring salted water to a boil and add broccoli. Cook it for a few minutes until it changes to a different shade of bright green. This process is called blanching. Once the broccoli is done, remove it from the pot, chill and chop it into bite-sized pieces.

Prepare the other ingredients while the tortellini and broccoli cook. Slice the zucchini and carrots into thin rounds, cut the tomatoes into halves, chop the green onions and dill, and drain the artichoke hearts.

In a large bowl, combine the cooked tortellini, blanched broccoli, sliced zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, chopped green onions and dill, drained artichoke hearts, and parmesan.

Add salad dressing of your choice and toss everything together until well combined.

Cover the bowl and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and the salad to cool.