Italian Pasta Salad

By bsterna

Ingredients

• 2-10 ounce packages of dried cheese tortellini
• 2 packets Good Season’s Italian dressing mix-prepared according to package directions
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium red onion diced
• 1 medium sized container of white button mushrooms, quartered-(they really soak up a lot of the dressing as the salad marinades)
• 1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/4 lb of pepperoni or hard salami, cubed
• 1/4 lb of provolone or mozzarella cheese, cubed

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the salad dressing according to the package instructions using red wine vinegar and olive oil. Make a double batch, even though you don’t always need to use all of the dressing to marinade the salad.

Cook the tortellini according to package instructions, drain, and set aside to cool. While the pasta is cooking, dice veggies, meat and cheese placing all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

After the pasta has cooled slightly, combine with the veggies, meat and cheese and toss together. Add the dressing to the mixture, and toss well to combine. Start with a little more than half of the dressing and then after it sits in the fridge for a while, check to see if it looks dry and then add more as needed.