Homage

I made this pasta salad for the first time on the 4th of July, and, let me tell you, there were fireworks.

It was one of those “I need to use all these ingredients before they go bad” sort of a days, and so I searched for a recipe that would help me clean out my fridge and taste good. I had loads of fresh basil from the garden, asparagus that needed to be eaten that day, and left-over pine nuts from a wild night of pesto. The solution to my problem was found here. Tortellini Pasta Salad with Asparagus. Oh, my heart.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed and sliced thin on the bias
• 2 packages fresh cheese tortellini
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Instructions:

1. Whisk the olive oil, basil, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl large enough to hold the pasta salad.

2. Cook the asparagus in 4 quarts boiling water seasoned with 1 tablespoon salt until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a colander using a slotted spoon (do not discard the boiling water) and run under cold water until cool. Shake out any excess water and toss with the vinaigrette.

3. Return the water to a boil, add the tortellini, and cook until tender, following the package instructions. Drain the tortellini thoroughly, then toss while hot with the asparagus and dressing. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

4. Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, stir the toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, and Parmesan into the salad and season with salt and pepper.

This was just as good the second day, maybe even better, and the pine nuts did not get soggy. Go make it right now.

Love,

Edit: I was fortunate enough to partake of this dish at J’s barbeque. It changed my life. So much so that I demanded the recipe – IMMEDIATELY – and coerced G into making it for dinner the next week. We added grilled chicken and served it as a main dish. It was divine.

Tags: pasta salad