Summertime Favorites

Megan over at Fried Okra just posted her top 10 favorite summer recipes and is asking for others to join in the fun. My favorite summer recipe is the Brown and Wild Rice Chicken Salad, which I've posted about before. I could eat it all in one sitting.

The recipe below is for a new pasta salad that I've made a handful of times already -- it's a great option for picnics and super tasty.

Summertime Tortellini (courtesy of Publix Familystyle Magazine)

1 9 oz. package refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 to 1 1/2 Tbs. finely shredded lemon peel
1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 cup cubed mozzarella cheese (2 ounces)
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped almonds, toasted (toasting them does make a difference)

1) In a large saucepan, cook tortellini according to package directions, adding green beans for the last five minutes of cooking. Drain. Rinise tortellini and green beans with cold water; drain again.

2) Meanwhile, in a screw-top jar, combine lemon peel, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, salt and garlic. Cover; shake well. Chill until needed.

3) In a large bowl, toss tortellini, green beans and yellow pepper with olive oil. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours. Just before serving, stir cheese, green onions and nuts into tortellini mixture. Shake dressing; pour over all, tossing lightly to coat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 main dish servings.

384 calories
19 g total fat (5 g sat fat)
39 mg chol
503 mg sodium
41 g carbs
3 g dietary fiber
17 g protein