Tortellini Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Basil, & Fresh Corn

22-ounce package frozen (or fresh) cheese tortellini

3 cups (about 16 ounces) sliced cherry or grape tomatoes (halved or quartered, depending on size)

2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels, cooked and sliced from the cob (approximately 14 ounces of corn, which comes from about 4 cobs)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced in a chiffonade

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

For the vinaigrette:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Boil tortellini in salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool. In a large salad bowl, combine tortellini, sliced tomatoes, fresh corn kernels, fresh chopped basil, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.          

  

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously. Pour over tortellini salad and gently mix all ingredients until well combined. Chill for several hours before serving.

           

Notes: Fresh corn tastes best if you have access to it, but frozen corn may also be substituted.

 

Yield: 6 to 8 servings   www.fivehearthome.com

 

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook 1999

Note: Great way to use up stock from the garden!  I also made a version using Italian flat leaf parsley.

         

Tomato-Basil Chicken

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons gated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed ***
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups hot cooked medium tube-shaped macaroni (about 3 cups uncooked)


*** I used some basil that I had frozen in ice cube trays, about 2 cubes worth, but I love basil

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, heat oil.

Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned.  Set chicken aside. Pour off fat.

Add soup, milk, cheese, basil and garlic powder.  Heat to a boil. 

Return chicken to pan.  Reduced heat to low.  Cover and cook 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Serve with macaroni.


Makes 4 Servings

Campbell's Collection

Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 unpeeled large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 medium yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares
2 cups grape tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, divided
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray; add eggplant and peppers. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise; add to sheet. Using garlic press, squeeze 1 garlic clove onto vegetables. Drizzle vegetables with oil; toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring often, 35 to 45 minutes.

Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and 1 garlic clove in mini processor. Blend until crumbly. Season topping with salt.

Blend tomatoes with juice, cream, 1 1/3 cups basil, and 1 garlic clove in processor until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain. Return to pot. Toss with vegetables, sauce, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pine nut topping.

Bake pasta until heated through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 8 Servings

Bon Appétit
March 2011

Tortellini and Tomato Salad

2 (9-oz.) packages refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper

Prepare tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, process olive oil and next 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Toss olive oil mixture with hot cooked tortellini, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 Servings

Southern Living

July 2011

Note: I used fresh basil, grape and cherry tomatoes from the 2014 garden. Do no use frozen tortellini as it is too soft.  Refrigerator or possible the pasta aisle variety to remain firm when tossing ingredients.

Tomato-Basil Simmer Sauce

12 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 25 tomatoes), peeled **
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup lightly packed assorted fresh herbs (such as oregano, thyme, parsley, or Italian (flat-leaf) parsley), chopped
6 tablespoons lemon juice

Cut peeled tomatoes into chunks and add some of the chunks to the food processor. Cover and process until chopped. Transfer chopped tomatoes to a 7- to 8-quart nonreactive heavy pot. Repeat chopping remaining tomatoes, in batches, in the food processor. Add all tomatoes to the pot.

Add brown sugar, salt, vinegar, and black pepper to the tomato mixture. Bring to boiling. Boil steadily, uncovered, for 70 to 80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about 11 cups and is desired sauce consistency. Remove from heat; stir in herbs.

Spoon 1 tablespoon lemon juice into each of six hot, clean pint canning jars. Ladle sauce into jars with lemon juice, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims; adjust lids. Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 35 minutes (start time when water returns to a full boil). Remove jars; cool on wire racks.

From the Test Kitchen

Spicy Simmer Sauce: Stir in 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper with the herbs. 

Roasted Garlic Simmer Sauce: Stir in 3 tablespoons chopped roasted garlic with the herbs. 

Double Tomato Simmer Sauce: Stir in 1 cup snipped dried tomatoes (not oil-packed) with the herbs. 

Roasted Garlic:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel away the dry outer layers of skin from garlic bulbs, leaving skins and cloves intact. Cut off about 1/2 inch from the pointed top portions, leaving bulbs intact but exposing the individual cloves. Place the garlic bulbs, cut sides up, in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart casserole. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Cover casserole. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until garlic is soft. Remove from oven. When garlic is cool enough to handle, remove garlic cloves from papers by squeezing the bottoms of the bulbs. Chop roasted garlic. 

Makes: 22 servings Serving size: 1/2 cup Yield: about 11 cups sauce (6 pints)


** The easiest way to get tomato skins off:

1) set up a pot of boiling water
2) fill a bowl with ice water
3) core all your tomatoes
4) slice an 'X' in the bottom end of each tomato
5) drop your prepared tomatoes in batches into the boiling water for no more than 30 seconds
6) after 30 seconds, spoon them out and drop them into the ice water
7) gently slip the skin off the tomato

Poof you're done!


www.bhg.com

Basil Pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.


Makes 1 Cup

foodnetwork.com

Substitutes for Pine Nuts

• walnuts (the traditional sub)
• almonds

Pesto Pointers

Fresh basil is very delicate, and will turn brown if it gets very hot or if it's exposed to air for long periods of time. Many cooks use fresh spinach as well as basil in their pesto to help maintain its brilliant green color.
When mixing pesto with pasta, potatoes, or risotto, stir it in at the last minute, just before serving.
Store pesto in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week, or in the freezer for about six months.
Keep it looking fresh and green by covering the top with a thin layer of olive oil or with a sheet of plastic wrap directly on its surface; this will keep it from oxidizing and turning brown. (If your pesto darkens in color, it will still taste good. Only discard it if it has been stored improperly.)

One way to freeze pesto in manageable portion sizes is to freeze it in an ice cube tray, and transfer the cubes to a heavy duty plastic freezer bag. (Reserve an ice cube tray for this purpose, as it might discolor and flavor your plastic tray.) Thaw frozen pesto in the refrigerator or in the microwave on medium power just until room temperature.

allrecipes.com

Serving Suggestions for Pesto

Although pesto is easy to make at home and will taste fresher than the purchased kind, you can also find it at the grocery store in shelf-stable jars, in the refrigerator case, or in the freezer section.
Try pesto:

• On pizza in place of or in addition to the red sauce 
• Added to a cream sauce or Alfredo sauce 
• Mixed with mayonnaise as a sandwich spread or burger topping 
• Stirred into mashed potatoes 
• Stirred into risotto 
• Dolloped on soup 
• Spread on crostini and topped with chopped tomatoes, smoked salmon, roasted red peppers or goat cheese 
• Whisked into scrambled eggs or folded into omelets
• In pasta salads, potato salads, or salad dressings
• Mixed with cream cheese and spread on a bagel 

allrecipes.com
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Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 rib minced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, basil and almonds. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to chicken mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill.

foodnetwork.com

Serves 2 - 4