Name: Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 (20 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini; 1 C fresh mozzarella, cubed; 1 1/2 C pepperoni, chopped; 1 1/2 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half; 1/4 C sliced black olives; 2 heaping tbsp. fresh basil, chopped; 2/3 C creamy Italian dressing; salt and pepper to taste

Summer is coming in fast and I’m ready for it. How about you? We’ve got Memorial Day under our belt, as well as the Indy 500 and are looking forward to the Fourth of July holiday. Other potlucks are popping up, so I’ve been searching for some good new recipes to try.

This Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad has been hanging around my Pinterest salad board for awhile. I’m a little embarrassed to say that I frequent the cookie and cake boards more often than the salad board, but this one looked great to me because of the fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.

Mix in your favorite dressing and it all comes together into a nice, substantial pasta salad for your next get together.

I really enjoyed this and found the leftovers just as good as the day I made it. I hope you’ll try this. Except for the chopping, it was easy to put together and seemed to be well received at a potluck luncheon this week.

Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Inactive Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Nice combination of pasta, vegetables, and cheese with a creamy dressing.

Ingredients

1 (20 oz) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 C fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 1/2 C pepperoni, chopped
1 1/2 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 C sliced black olives
2 heaping tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2/3 C creamy Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook tortellini according to the package and rinse and drain the pasta. Rinse again and drain well.
Let the pasta cool for about 10 minutes (so it won't melt the mozzarella).
In a large bowl, mix in all ingredients and toss well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

I looked for those cute tiny round pepperoni, but couldn't find any. If you can find those, it makes for a nice presentation.

Some changes that would work - bow-tie pasta instead of tortellini; regular Italian dressing instead of creamy.

To cool my pasta quickly, I stuck in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes.

No other tips - it's not really rocket science....

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 845mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 12g

Nutrition Values are Approximate