Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Suzee's Tortelini Salad

I don't often make pasta salad. It's one of those white things "they" say you should stay away from. I was thinking about my cousin Ginny's Tortelini salad that she used to make for family picnics, and figured I'd whip it up. I was even going to call it Ginny's salad, but then I started adding things, and before I knew it, I'd lost the simplicity I'd been craving.
I wasn't going to post this one, but surprisingly enough, Rick really liked it. So, here you go.

1 lb frozen tortelini, cooked to package directions
1 European cucumber, diced
1 pint grape tomatos, diced
1 bulb fennel, diced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 T good olive oil
1/4 c light newman's own balsamic vinegrette

Dice all the veggies while the tortelini is cooking. Once you drain the pasta, toss it in the olive oil to prevent it from getting gummy and sticking together while you finish chopping.

Dump all the veggies in the bowl with the pasta and dress with Newman's Own dressing, and toss.

Voila - chopped veggie pasta salad!