Greek Tortellini Salad with Asparagus & Dill

Sometimes I appreciate when the grocery store does the heavy lifting for dinner. Fresh tortellini serves as the base for this fun and substantial pasta salad with a Greek-inspired medley of pepperoncini, cherry tomatoes, olives, and feta. You can stop there if you'd like, but this time of year I love adding asparagus and broccoli. Toss everything together with a red wine vinegar dressing and dill and you've got a streamlined meal in 20 minutes.

Greek Tortellini Salad with Asparagus & Dill

• 1 broccoli crown, divided into florets

• 1 (9-oz) package tortellini (regular, gluten-free, or dairy-free)

• 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends snapped away and stalks sliced into 2 inch pieces

• 8 whole pepperoncini peppers, drained and sliced

• 1/2 pint (8 oz) cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

• 1 small bunch dill, chopped

• Feta cheese, crumbled (to taste)

• Red wine vinegar dressing (recipe below)

Red Wine Vinegar Dressing

• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar

• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 2 tsp. dried oregano

• 2 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

1. Prep the salad dressing: Add everything to a mason jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.

2. Bring water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add broccoli florets and cook for one minute. Then add tortellini and asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, according to package directions. Broccoli and asparagus should be bright green and crisp tender. Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. While water is coming to a boil and greens and pasta cook, prep the remaining salad ingredients and transfer to a large, deep mixing bowl.

4. Add cooked pasta, greens, and half the dressing to the mixing bowl, and toss everything gently to combine. Add more dressing, salt, and pepper, as desired. (I usually use all the dressing).

5. Plate in bowls and top with feta.