A TWIST ON PASTA SALAD ~ TORTELLINI STYLE ~ UPDATED

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These last few days have been sweltering hot outside.  While I love the heat I do not enjoy the sticky humidity.  I tend to think about invading my neighbor's pool because the chilly water looks so inviting.  

 I also can not think about eating a hot steamy meal.  I want to have something cool to enjoy but also filling.  When it is really hot outside I love to make a meal that is refreshing.  I tend to stick with the same ole same ole stuff to fill our bellies though.  We eat a lot of pasta salads and panzanella.  Both are a lot of fun to make because you can be as creative as you wish.  Just throw in whatever and you have a meal.  

 It really has been hot for about a week now and while the temps are going to go down to the 80's and maybe even the high 70's this week TODAY is going to be steamy.  Which made me think what do I wanna fix this week to eat.  First thing came to my mind was a pasta salad.  BUT I did not want just any pasta salad.  I wanted something different.  I bought some tortellini pasta a couple of weeks ago and I thought why not use it in my pasta salad.  The great thing about pasta salad you really can put just about anything in it and it will turn out well.

 Since I wanted to be different I added a few things I have never added before.  I also wanted to use stuff I already had on-hand.  

 I chopped some pepperoni for part of my protein.


Since I had chickpeas canned I opened a jar of them for the rest of my protein.


After that, I chopped up tomatoes, onions, green pepper, cucumbers, and olives.


I made a vinegarette and put that on my vegetables.


Then came my tortellini.  I used a ricotta and spinach tortellini.  

I mixed everything together with my vinegarette.

I think it looks really good.

I added some Parmigiano Reggiano to top it off and I have to admit it is rather good.  I can not imagine how good it will be tomorrow.  



You can add any ingredients you want.  If you wanna make it more of a Greek pasta add some feta.  Today's pasta salad.


Let the sweaty, sticky and steamy heat come.  I am ready for it. Are you?

 ENJOY!!




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