Is it just me or are those packages of freshly prepared tortellini that you get at the supermarket in those “Dinner for two for a Fiver” scenarios, those packages which are specifically designed to serve two… woefully inadequate at serving two? It’s just… when I eat a pasta dish, I really want a big steaming bowl of it to dig into.
But for some reason, filled pasta is universally under-portioned. In a restaurant, you will receive at least 50% less in volume if you opt for the ravioli or the tortellini or the mezzaluna- even when there is no sauce! Even when there’s just a little bit of butter and sage. The person with the carbonara gets twice as much pasta and cream! Why? WHYYY?
Ahem. Sorry.
So here we go. When you have a package of tortellini that fails to serve two, you need a side dish. In this case, it was a salad. But instead of making tortellini and a salad, I decide to give tortellini salad a try. And what a great idea this was. I came out of this feeling just as satisfied as if it were all pasta. Serving it while the tortellini is still warm, and drenched in a herby Italian dressing, keeps it filling and interesting. Some garlic bread on the side would have made this absolute perfection.
Spinach & Artichoke Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
Italian Dressing Ingredients…
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried mustard powder
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh minced basil
- 1 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
- ¼ tsp each of dried marjoram and dried oregano
Salad Ingredients…
- 9 oz (250 g) pack of fresh or dried tortellini
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach, rinsed and drained
- 14 oz (400 g) can of artichokes, rinsed and chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- ¼ small red onion, diced
Instructions
- Prepare your dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in container and shaking together, or use an emulsifying blade and whizz it through a food processor.
- Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl, then toss most of the dressing through but reserve about half a cups worth.
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions- drain, put back in the pan and add the remaining dressing. Toss together before adding the tortellini to the salad.
Notes
Sources: The dressing is based on Martha Stewart’s Fresh Italian Dressing.
