Dishin’ With Denise… “Panch” Up Your Pasta Salad

Summer is salad time! A fresh tortellini salad with pesto, flavorfully inspired with pancetta.  Nothing says summer more than the aromatic smell of fresh sweet basil. Heavenly, with pasta filled angel halo’s. Tortellini are ring shaped pasta sometimes described as naval shaped–I call them, “Angel halos”. Typically, they are stuffed with a mix of either meat, cheese or a combination of both. I use the frozen packages for easy cooking, especially during the summertime season. Easy to locate in your local market, I like Buitoni’s frozen regular or tri-colored tortellini–tender semolina pasta rings filled with three cheeses, fresh creamy ricotta, aged parmesan and Romano cheeses. I make many different variations of this pasta salad; but here is a winner! Kick it, or “panch” it up with the bold flavor of pancetta (Italian bacon)! These delicious stuffed halo’s pair well with a pesto sauce, black olives, toasted pignoli nuts, pimentos, grated cheese and fresh mozzarella. Show up at any outdoor summer gathering table and you will be the Beloved Angel of the event! Serve this salad next to anything else you’re serving and I promise, this dish stands out like, “HEAVEN on EARTH!” Blessings, xoxo Denise

8 oz. of tiny diced pieces of pancetta
4 bags (7 oz.) frozen tri-color frozen tortellini
½ cup plus a T more extra virgin olive oil
1/3 – ½ cup imported pignoli nuts (pine nuts)
8 oz. sliced sweet pimentos    
2– 7 oz. containers of prepared Buitoni 
    pesto basil sauce
2– 6 oz. cans pitted, ripe, sliced black olives
½ cup grated locatelli cheese
8 oz. of tiny fresh mozzarella balls sliced
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
A handful of fresh chopped basil for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

    In a large frying pan with 1 T of olive oil, sauté pancetta until lightly brown, then add pignoli nuts and sauté for 2 minutes.
    Place frozen tortellini directly into pot of rapidly boiling salted water for 2 minutes (less than package directions) and drain. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking and drain again. Put back into the warm pot and add basil sauce and ½ cup olive oil until it is mixed throughout. Add browned pancetta and pignoli nuts, pimentos, mozzarella slices, salt pepper, cheese and toss. Garnish with fresh chopped basil. Serve or chill.