i love to cook. i love denise. i love denise more than i love to cook and i love to cook a lot.
denise is doing an interactive post on her blog about summer salads. because i love denise and because i love to cook it's only natural that i would participate.
it's not yet summer here (ugh) but i am already thinking of all the great salads i like to make during the hot weather. if we aren't grilling we jump from one pasta salad to another all summer. now that i am growing a garden i will be able to supply some of my own ingredients. that'll cut down on the grocery bill that (i agree denise!) seems to steadily climb as the country faces what may or may not be a recession.
anyway, below is the recipe for one of my favorite summer salads...enjoy!
basil tortellini salad
1 package cheese tortellini (i use butoni & have substituted chicken tortellini for the cheese)
1 small red sweet pepper, cut into bite-size strips
1 cup broccoli flowerets
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrot
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted
- cook pasta according to package directions, drain. rinse with cold water, drain again. in large mixing bowl combine pasta, sweet pepper, broccoli & carrot.
- mix mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, basil, milk, pepper & garlic in a small bowl. pour dressing over pasta mixture. toss lightly to coat. cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
- before serving, stir in nuts and, if necessary, more milk to moisten.
