Summer eating is light and easy. I know that I don't like to spend a whole lot of time cooking in the kitchen during the summer months. And that's for a couple of reasons...1) I'd much rather be outside doing something and 2 ) I don't want to be in a hot kitchen when it's already hot outside.
So I found the perfect dish for lunch or dinner. It could be the main course accompanied with fresh fruit or it could be the side to a lighter main dish. Either way, this cold Mediterranean pasta salad is a good go-to for summer. It's light, simple to make, and tasty.
- What You'l Need
- 20 oz cheese tortellini
- 1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
- 14 oz can artichoke hearts
- 3.8 oz can sliced, black olives
- 8 oz block of mozzarella (cubed)
- 2/3 cup light Italian dressing
- Chopped basil
- What You'll Do
- Prepare the cheese tortellini according to the package directions. Once cooked, set it in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to let it cool so it won't cause the mozzarella to melt.
- Wash then quarter the grape tomatoes. Cut the artichoke hearts into desired size. I opted for a smaller size. Next cube the mozzarella cheese.
- In a large bowl combine the cooled tortellini, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, black olives, mozzarella, and basil.
- Now pour the Italian dressing over the pasta and mix well.
- Serve immediately or put in the fridge until ready to serve.
**optional ingredient could be cut up pepperoni. This sounds like it would be a delicious addition, but this preggo can't eat cold pepperoni. So enjoy that for me if you add it to the salad!
And just like that you've got the perfect dish for a summer day or night! We took this on the boat over Memorial Day weekend, and it was a hit! Serve it up and let me know what you think!
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