Tortellini Pasta Salad

This pasta salad has been showing up at family BBQs for as long as I remember. It is simple to make but it is so delicious and comforting and everyone loves it! Tender, cheesy tortellini, crispy broccoli and corn, tangy olives and a creamy, zesty pesto dressing.

(Feeds a crowd…roughly 8-10 ppl as a side dish)

Ingredients-

2 Lbs Small Tricolored Cheese Tortellini

1 Cup Basil Pesto (I use store bought Kirkland Brand)

1 cup Hellman’s Mayo

Juice of half a medium size lemon

Salt & Pepper

2 Ears of Corn (shucked)

1 Can if Pitted Black Olives (6 oz), cut in half or if they’re jumbo olives slice them into 3-4 slices each

1 bag of broccoli florets or 1 large head

Steps-

Boil a large pot of salted water. Boil the tortellini according to the directions on the package. Use a “spider” or slotted spoon to remove the cooked tortellini and place it in a big bowl. (save the boiling water for your broccoli) Toss the tortellini with a small drizzle of olive oil to prevent them form sticking together. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you get the other ingredients together.

Next place the broccoli florets in the boiling water and cook about 5 minutes or until they soften slightly but still have a little bite to them. Use a slotted spoon to remove the broccoli and place it in a bowl of ice water to “shock” it. This will stop the cooking process and help the broccoli retain its bright green color. Let it sit in the ice water about 3-4 minutes and then remove and drain in paper towels. Cut the florets into bite size pieces and then add it to the bowl with the tortellini.

Next, rub a little bit of olive oil on the outside of your shucked corn cobs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat your bbq or an indoor grill pan on medium heat and grill the corn on all sides until it is cooked but still crisp (5-7 mins). Remove the corn from the heat and carefully cut off the corn kernels with a serrated knife. Place the corn kernels and sliced olives in the bowl with the tortellini and broccoli.

In a bowl whisk together the pesto, mayo, lemon juice, about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a dash of black pepper. Taste for seasoning.

Toss the tortellini mixture with the pesto dressing, cover and refrigerate until cold.