Tortellini Salad Toss

Yummmm. This was wonderful. Anything involving tortellini is wonderful, in my opinion. While I was eating it, I was reminded of that taste you get when you go to the Macaroni Grill and you dip that rosemary bread into the bitter vinegar/oil stuff - you know what I'm talking about? It's that kind of taste. But it's also very greek-ey, with the olives, the feta, etc. I served this with beef brisket and steamed vegetables, and it was awesome, but I keep thinking how amazing it would be next to, like, a grilled steak in the summertime. I think it would be the perfect yang to the grilled meat's ying.

Oh, and this recipe calls for sun-dried tomatoes, but I couldn't find the dang things in Wal-Mart. And I didn't have time to dry my own or go to a different store to find them, so I just chopped up the tomatoes I had on hand fresh, and they were great.

I got this recipe from my Barbeques - Parties and Potlucks book, California Cookbook Company, 2001.

Tortellini Salad Toss

Serves 4

1 pound cheese tortellini
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup black olives, halved
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Cook and drain tortellini according to package directions. Cut sun-dried tomatoes into julienne strips. Add remaining ingredients and toss. This salad is good hot or cold.