It’s hot outside. Super hot and humid.
If you’re looking for a cool dinner idea, this is your recipe.
I wish I could say that I had garden fresh tomatoes for this dish, but my plants have yet to decide to really produce tomatoes. All I have are a few small green maters that taunt and torment me because they haven’t changed in size or color for weeks.
I’m a gardening failure. But that’s a whole ‘nuther post. For this dish I used a couple of store bought tomatoes and grape tomatoes (tragic because this is August) and 3 delicious cherry tomatoes from my garden.
Here’s what you’ll need for the salad:
- 2 bags frozen cheese tortellini
- large bunch fresh broccoli, cut into florets
- about 3 medium tomatoes or the equivalent in cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- handful of fresh basil, chopped
Boil a big pan of water. Add the broccoli to the pot of boiling water. A minute or two later add the tortellini. The pasta only takes a couple of minutes to cook, so you can do the broccoli at the same time. Once the tortellini is done, drain the water and rinse the pasta and broccoli in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and place into a large bowl, along with the tomatoes.
To make the dressing, combine the rest of the ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake it all up till it’s well combined. Pour over the salad and toss to coat.
You can serve this right away or refrigerate it for several hours or even the next day. I served this with grilled chicken, because my oldest son revolted at the idea of “no meat!”. In quotes because those were his exact words and expression. I don’t see him ever becoming a vegetarian.
What’s your favorite meal when it’s super hot outside?
yay! I am just putting together my menu for camping next week and this would be a perfect addition.
This looks really good but I live with a broccoli hater, although he will eat a regular chef salad during the summer. Tonight we are having chili. He said it is never too hot for chili. Oh well it is easy and not much clean up. I have a patio garden and have only gotten 4 cherry tomatoes so far but they were a tasty bite. Lots of green Roma tomatoes just hangin’ out doing their thing.
This looks yummy, will have to try. And don’t give up on those green tomatoes. One year ours acted like this and I just kept nursing them thru the hot summer and when fall arrived we had tons of tomatoes and were able to eat fresh homegrown tomatoes all the way into late December. We picked all the green ones right before first hard frost and all but a couple ripened beautifully. So, there is hope!
I would love to try this, but with some mini farfalle (as I am lactose-intolerant and can’t do tortellini). But alas, my family wouldn’t go for the broccoli/tomato combination. I think it looks fresh and delicious! And that is too cute about your son’s reaction to a meatless dish. It sounds like my sister if I were to tell her we would not be having a starch in the meal.
looks great, I can’t wait to try this
I made this salad this afternoon and we just finished dinner (we had it as a side) and my veggie-hating husband, 4 year old and 18 month old could have cared less about the rest of the food on their plates. It is so good and so light and refreshing!
Wow — yum! I’m always looking for salads 🙂
This look so delicious! Tomatoes and broccoli are so perfect together and, really, how can you go wrong with cheese-filled pasta? 🙂
My husband would love this but he would be looking for a piece of chicken or steak to go with it..