Broccoli & Tortellini Salad with Arugula Pesto
Source: Vanderbilt University
This pasta salad is filled with color, flavor and crunch.
Ingredients
16 medium garlic cloves
3 lb. baby arugula
8 cups shredded pecorino cheese
4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups pine nuts, toasted, divided
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
4 tsp. salt
20 lb. cheese tortellini
24 lb. broccoli florets, cut to bite size
Steps
- Boil large pot of water.
- Mince garlic in food processor.
- In batches, prepare pesto by processing arugula, cheese, oil, 4 cups of pine nuts, lemon zest and salt, scraping down sides as necessary, until mixture is fairly smooth.
- Cook tortellini in boiling water, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions.
- Place broccoli in pan and quickly blanch in steamer, leaving it bright green and tender crisp.
- Reserve ½ gallon of pasta-cooking liquid and drain tortellini.
- Add some reserved cooking liquid to pesto to achieve thin consistency and quick chill.
- Transfer tortellini and broccoli to sheet pans and cool completely.
- Once cooled, add broccoli and tortellini together and toss with pesto. Serve sprinkled with remaining pine nuts.