Recipe Redux: Tortellini Pepperoncini Salad

It's been a stormy morning y'all.

The hubby woke me up at 6 this morning to let me know a monster storm was on the way. I roused myself from slumber, shuffled my way to the den window that faces the northwest, and took a peep. Oh yeah, I could see the storm coming. I could see the lighting from miles away! We are prone to losing power out here in the country with these big wind storms, so I booked it to the coffee machine. I brewed 2 cups before the storm hit. I figured if I lost power at least I would have a 2nd cup of coffee, even if it turned out to be lukewarm. Lukewarm caffeine is better than none I figured :-)

Luckily, the storm passed without much fanfare. I lost power for 1.2 seconds, not bad. That 2nd cup of coffee ended up in the microwave for 30 seconds, but at least I was prepared. We've been really fortunate with storms this year. We keep getting warnings for 60-70 mph wind, to expect roof and siding damage, maybe an isolated tornado... and not getting much. Storms seem to be splitting and moving around our house this year. I know how ridiculous that must sound, but that's just how it seems. We haven't had to deal with much of anything in regards to spring and summer storms. We do live right by the Ohio River and there's a huge hill-system in between us and the river. I sometimes wonder if the hills have something to do with the weather splitting around us. However, I did just Google that and found nothing... so, probably not.

I'm feeling fortunate about the storm loosing steam this morning. I was worried about our relatively new evergreen, the tall one that leans a ton. I could really see it getting knocked around in the wind, but so far, so good.

So, let's get to another Recipe Redux! I've been making this salad for years. I love it! For me, it's hard to go wrong with this salad. 

Cheesy tortellini? Check. 

Spicy pepperoncinis? Got it. 

Protein-filled chickpeas? Yes!

 Lovely, crisp spinach and tomatoes? You get the picture.

Here's the original:

I have to say, the color is pretty good on that old picture. It just need a little styling.

You are going to need tortellini. Imagine that! Ha ha. You can use any kind you like. I used whole-wheat cheese-filled tortellini for this salad but I have also used-

Regular cheese-filled tortellini

Tri-Colored tortellini

Italian Sausage tortellini

Chicken Spinach tortellini

You cannot go wrong with the flavor of the tortellini here.

I'll eat chickpeas any way I can take them. I like them in hummus. I like them in pasta. I like them in salads. Chickpeas? Goooooood.

The freshies- spinach, grape tomatoes, red onion, capers, pepperoncini, and some garden-grown basil.

The dressing is nothing more than olive oil and fresh lemon juice. That's all you need!

Toss everything together and add parmesan cheese. 

This is really great, easy, and fast summer salad. I chop the salad and throw everything in a bowl while the tortellini is cooking. I run the tortellini under cold water when it's done, and then add it to the salad. A quick drizzle of the dressing, toss, and dinner is served. 

Seriously guys. About 30 minutes is all you are going to need, and that time should include cleanup. Easy. Peasy.

Poor little Mariota is going to the vet today for his annual checkup and vaccines. I am not looking forward to this. Mariota is not the best behaved dog in public. He rooster-barks at every person he sees. A rooster-bark is a loud, high-pitched, "sound the alarm" bark that Mariota does. It's downright embarrassing. Not to mention the fact that he bit a vet tech last year, prompting them to give me information on dog training classes. Ugh. We went to the class. It helped, but it didn't solve our problems. I am crossing my fingers, my toes, my legs... anything I can cross in hopes he does not bite anyone today. Luckily, he's a 4-lb dog so he doesn't concern anyone too much, but still. 

Here's hoping Mariota keeps that little mouth shut today!! :-)

Happy Thursday friends!

Recipe slightly adapted from: Cooking Light

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

9 oz tortellini, cooked to package directions, rinsed under cold water

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

2 cups fresh spinach

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pepperoncinis, thinly sliced

1/4 cup capers

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 (16 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Combine tortellini, tomatoes, spinach, onion, capers, basil,  and chickpeas in large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk briskly to emulsify. Drizzle dressing over salad. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad to distribute the dressing. Top salad with parmesan cheese. Divide salad among plates, serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

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