Cranberry Tortellini Salad

Last week, I decided to host a ‘Friendly Thanksgiving’ feast.  

By that I mean, we had dinner and it was all of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes.  Since Thanksgiving is a holiday that usually has us spending the day with our families, I thought it would be fun to enjoy the deliciousness of Thanksgiving together…we may have started a new tradition.

I smoked turkey in my electric smoker and made bread and maple cinnamon butter, our friends brought mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, green bean casserole, spinach dip, cranberry sauce and this tortellini salad – which I fell absolutely in love with.  It’s a really great combination – the tender, cheesy pasta with the bold flavors of pesto and tart dried cranberries – mmmm, delicious.  I also love it because it only has 4 ingredients and can be served warm or at room temperature.  

Might I also add that we ended the evening with rice krispie treats for the kids, apple pie and pumpkin pie with pumpkin spice lattes and eggnog lattes.  It was a fun evening, filled with great food and great friends!

2 (7 oz.) pkgs. CHEESE TORTELLINI*

1 (8 oz.) jar of PESTO (or you can make your own)

1 (5 oz.) pkg. DRIED CRANBERRIES

FRESHLY GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE

Cook tortellini according to the package directions.  Drain and return to pan.  Add pesto and dried cranberries, toss to coat.  Transfer to a serving bowl.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

*This would be packages from the shelf on the pasta aisle.  If you use fresh or frozen tortellini, you need about 14 oz.  Most jars of pesto found near the pasta sauce are around 8 oz.  You can also top this with pine nuts for an extra crunch.

Recipe Source: My friend Jessica

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