Piquant

That’s a word, right? I described this dish as “piquant” to Justin, and I think he thought I made it up.

This was super-easy to throw together, and I even took the time to peel and seed the tomatoes (which I normally don’t do). I think next time I’d use balsamic instead of red wine vinegar, to sweeten it up a bit. With the capers and the artichoke hearts, the red wine vinegar just made it a little too…vinegary (piquant!). The original recipe called for olives, but we all know how that goes.

This recipe is a good starting point, I think…tossing hot tortellini or ravioli with fresh ingredients sounds like an easy and tasty way to put dinner on the table. Maybe some steamed broccoli and feta cheese? Parsley, tomatoes, and cucumber? You get the idea.

Tortellini, Tomato and Basil Salad

  • 1 pound cheese tortellini or ravioli
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) jar artichoke hearts, drained and halved
  • 1 bunch basil, the leaves torn into pieces
  • 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Red wine vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the ravioli. Blanch the tomatoes for 15 seconds, then scoop them out. Peel, seed, and chop them into large pieces. Put the tomatoes and artichokes in a large bowl with the basil, capers, and oil.

Salt the pasta water. Add the tortellini, cook until done, and drain well. Add them to the bowl and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Taste for salt, season with pepper, and sprinkle with vinegar to taste. Serve warm or tepid.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

5 responses to “Piquant”

  1. the soup looks wonderful, I will make it as soon as it cools off a bit here, in the Boston area. I also wanted to comment on your Links I was not able to leave it with the Links, but let me thank you for them here I looked at all the ones that I was able to bring up and I hope that eventually all of them will come up. thanks Crystal for all the work to list all the recipes and the Links. You are such a busy Lady. Are you feeling better? Rita

  2. I agree. I hate peeling tomatoes. But sometimes its worth it. And that salad looks easy but tasty…. glad your kitchen is up and running again. 🙂

  3. You’ve had some super-yummy-looking recipes up lately. I may have take a “break” from my crash diet to try one. Or two. 😉

  4. Yum. I am all over this recipe, especially with tomatoes on the vine in the garden.

  5. Wow – this looks good – your pictures are sooo vibrant and I wish I could pick it up for a taste. I’ll be trying this one.

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