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Tortellini Pasta Salad in a bowl with tomatoes, peas, bacon, feta and spinach.
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Bacon Belly Button Pasta Salad

A family Favorite cold meal during the hot summer months. This Bacon Belly Button Pasta Salad (aka. Tortellini Salad) is a zesty and an incredibly delicious pasta dish. Light and yet very satisfying, this always disappears extremely fast!
Course Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine Italian/American
Keyword Italian Tortellini Salad, Tortellini Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 472kcal
Author Heather

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic *minced or crushed
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard

For the Salad

  • 16 oz cheese tortellini
  • 16 oz bacon
  • 1 cup feta *cut or crumbled
  • 6 oz bag baby spinach
  • 16 oz tear drop tomatoes *or cherry tomatoes
  • 1 med red onion
  • 14 oz artichoke hearts in water *drained and cut in half
  • 16 oz frozen peas
  • 2 tbsp sea salt for boiling water

Instructions

  • Fry bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place cooked bacon on paper towel to absorb extra oil.
  • Boil water in a large pot. Once boiling add sea salt and then tortellini, boil per package directions.
  • While pasta water is coming to a boil, prepare vinaigrette. Measure olive oil into a very large mixing bowl. Whisk vinegar in slowly to emulsify. Whisk in mustard and crushed garlic. Roughly dice onion and add to oil mixture in addition to drained artichoke hearts. Toss veggies to coat.
  • Cut tomatoes in half, cut bacon into pieces and crumble feta- set aside for last steps.
  • Just before pasta is done, place frozen peas in bottom of colander. Once pasta is done boiling, drain over peas. Once drained, add pasta and peas to vinaigrette/veggie mixture and toss. Let pasta cool for about 5 mins in vinaigrette and then add tomatoes, feta, bacon and spinach, individually tossing after each item.

Notes

*Please use as many organic ingredients as possible.*

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 361mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2201IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg