RECIPES FROM THE EDITOR’S WIFE…
Here is a quick and simply easy recipe that makes a great dish to bring to picnics or pot- luck parties. It’s a Pasta salad made with cheese tortellini with a dressing from marinated mozzarella cheese balls and grated parmesan cheese. I promise you will be the hit of the party with this one!
Here is your shopping list:
1. Two 16 oz packages of frozen cheese tortellini
2. 12 oz container of marinated mozzarella cheese balls
3. 16 oz container of grape tomatoes (I used the red and yellow just to give some color to the dish)
4. Fresh Chives
5. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6. 2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil
Start off by boiling a large pot of water (don’t forget to add salt). While you are waiting for the water to boil, slice the grape tomatoes in half (end to end) and put in a sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of garlic infused olive oil (You can use fresh garlic, but I prefer the good quality infused oil to avoid burning the garlic and creating a bitter taste to the dish).
Add the sliced tomatoes to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Take scissors and snip the chives over the tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes slightly soften. Remove from heat to bring to room temperature.
Add the frozen Cheese Tortellini to the boiling water and cook until all the pasta rises to the top. This is a quick process and you do not want to overcook the pasta to where it will fall apart. Drain and rinse immediately. This will be one of the only times that you will rinse pasta. It stops the cooking process and will also remove excess starch. Bring to room temperature.
Put the pasta in a large bowl. Fold in the tomato mixture. Add the 12 oz container of marinated mozzarella (dressing and all) and gently stir. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese over top and mix.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Thecia DeLap is not only a successful mortgage lender for VanDyk Mortgage Corporation, but is also an Italian culinary artist who knows her way around the kitchen and has experience cooking, catering, entertaining and planning for large corporate events as well as smaller gatherings. To reach her, you can email her at thecia1@hotmail.com or message her at: http://www.facebook.com/vandykmortgagethecia