Hey there and welcome back! I’m so glad you decided to join me this week because I have a great summertime recipe that is sure to please. So pour a drink and grab a pen to jot this one down!
This summer heat makes me not want to do much cooking, but this recipe didn’t heat things up too much. This week I’m bringing you a recipe for a tortellini and steak salad that is perfect on these hot evenings. This was a recipe from the Food Network magazine and I actually added more of some of the ingredients to kick it up a bit.
For this recipe you will need:
tortellini – fresh, frozen or dried (1-2 packs depending on how many you’re feeding)
2-3 cucumbers(I used some from our garden so they were a little smaller)
1 can large black olives
1 container cherry tomatoes (I used some that were red, yellow and green)
Approximately 1/2 a block of fresh mozzarella
1 12 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts and some of the marinade
2-4 steaks (the recipe called for skirt steaks but I couldn’t find any so I used flank steaks)
4 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
4-6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Italian seasoning
Set out your steaks to come to room temperature. Cook the tortellini as the package directs and drain and set aside.
While the tortellini is cooking, peel and chop the cucumbers, slice the entire can of olives in half, cut half of the mozzarella block into small bite sized chunks, slice the cherry tomatoes in half and chop up the entire jar of artichoke hearts. Combine all these ingredients in a large bowl.
Next, add the tortellini to the chopped veggies and cheese and top with the olive oil, red wine vinegar and about 4 tablespoons of the marinade that the artichoke hearts were in and a few generous dashes of Italian seasoning. Toss everything together and set aside.
Now get your grill or skillet hot and generously sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the steak and sear on each side for just about 3 minutes – this steak is served medium rare but you can prepare yours how you like it.
When your steak is done remove from the pan and let rest on a cutting board for 3-5 minutes then slice on an angle going against the grain. Plate your salad by putting down the tortellini and veggies and cheese first and topping with several slices of steak.
When I talked to Annie at the Village Wine Shop about a wine pairing for this awesome supper salad, here is what she had to say, “To pair with this fantastic steak salad recipe, we suggest a crisp Provence Rose’!
The nuance of the pinot noir or zinfandel grape, stripped naked, is how we enjoy this delightful, pink delight!
One might have been led to believe that “Pink Wines” are supposed to be sweet. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. In the wine world, sweet is the opposite of dry. Not sour. Sweet in the case of a fine Rose’, would mean a smoother and softer mouth feel, than high tannins and a drying tongue. So, you can have your cake and eat it too with this match!
Steak and pasta, cheese and herbs meet a bright, crisp and cold juice. The umami and rich flavors found naturally in cheeses and meats will be enhanced by the fruity softness of any quality Rose’. Some suggestions that you can find at The Village Wine Shop are Daou Rose from Paso Robles, California, LVE (John Legend’s Vineyards) from Provence, France, or a favorite among pink lovers, Whispering Angel also from Provence! Salut!”
So there you have it friends, a great summer salad that is even better cold the next day. You could remove the steak to make it a vegetarian dish or sub the steak for some chicken marinated in Italian dressing for a different twist! No matter what you do, have fun and make it your own, and as always I’m sending love from my kitchen to yours!!
