Chicken Tortellini Salad with Herbs de Provence Olive Oil and Champagne Wine Vinegar

Tortellini with a French twist! This recipe is perfect for that last minute, light dish to take to your next summer party. We cut the prep time in half by using pre-cooked chicken – in fact, you can prepare all the salad ingredients and dressing within the time it takes to make your pasta. You should, however, let the finished salad sit in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend. Leave out the chicken for a vegetarian option that’s just as tasty. You can experiment with different dressing combinations; check out our Suggested Pairings page to get some ideas.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 packages (10 ounces each) of cheese tortellini
• 1½ to 2 cups of cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 small can (3.8 ounces) of sliced black olives, about ½ cup
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley
• ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Olive This! Champagne Wine Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Olive This! Herbs de Provence Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Put a large pot of water on high heat for the tortellini.

While you’re waiting for the water to boil prepare the other ingredients; chop the cooked chicken, red bell peppers, parsley, red onion and black olives (if your olives aren’t sliced).

Prepare tortellini pasta according to package directions. Drain the tortellini and submerge in ice water to stop the pasta from cooking any further.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the dressing: 2 tablespoons mayo, 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the 1/3 cup of Herbes de Provence Olive Oil.

Drain the pasta well and add to a large bowl with the rest of the prepared ingredients. Toss gently to combine without breaking the tortellini.

Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat well.  Salt liberally to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. Garnish with additional chopped parsley, if desired.

MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS

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