Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad with Crunchy Panko Topping

This salad was super yummy - thumbs up from the hubby and kids!! I actually made it the day before to save myself the hassle the night of and was so glad I did!!! The veggies and tortellini marinated all night and had great flavor - and I was also so happy after a day of work to not have to make a big dinner! Win-Win! What was everyone's favorite part of the meal? The crunchy panko topping!!! The kids went wild over the topping - I'm so glad I added it last minute. Also, if you make the salad the day before, do not add the topping until just before serving or it will get soggy.

Hope you all enjoy this as much as my family did!

 Blistered Garlic Cherry Tomatoes:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 tsp dried basil or 3 Tbl fresh basil 
• 1/4 tsp salt

 Dressing & Tortellini Salad:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbl red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 Tbl Dijon mustard
• 16 ounces (2 cups) cheese tortellini
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (preferably one orange and one red)
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly torn
• 3/4 cup fresh "pearl" mozzarella balls (the little tiny balls)
• 3-4 ounces salami, roughly chopped, optional
• 2 cups of fresh arugula
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 Crunchy Panko Topping:

• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 Tbl olive oil
• 1 Tbl dried parsely
• 1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400F 

Toss the halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, basil and salt in a medium bowl.  Spread on to a foil lined baking sheet and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are blistered and bursting. Stir with a spatula and set aside to cool. Don't worry that they fall apart - that will happen. Just make sure you don't lose any of the seeds and juice- all that yummy-ness adds lots of flavor to the salad.

While the tomatoes are roasting boil a large pot of water and cook tortellini to al dente. Drain water, place tortellini back into pot and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

To make the dressing combine 1/2 cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, syrup or honey and Dijon mustard. Whisk until smooth.

To make the panko topping, turn the oven down to 350F. In a small bowl add panko bread crumbs, olive oil, parsley and salt. Mix with your fingers. Evenly spread the bread crumb mixture onto a foil lined baking sheet. Bake for only 3 - 4 minutes - don't go anywhere because this cooks quickly and you do not want it to burn. Remove from oven, stir the cooked panko with a spoon and set aside. 

To assemble the salad add the cooked tortellini, chopped bell peppers, blistered tomatoes and their juice, dressing, mozzerella balls, chopped basil and salami (if using) into a large bowl. Toss until everything is nicely coated. Taste for salt and pepper. 

To serve, place a handful of arugula at the bottom of each serving bowl. Spoon on the tortellini salad. Evenly divide the shredded Parmesan and baked panko crumbs to the top of each salad. Enjoy!!

**This is a great salad to make ahead of time! However,  add the arugula and the panko topping JUST before eating or the arugula and panko will get soggy. The rest of the ingredients will marinate together in the fridge overnight! Easy Peasy!