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Cooked tortellini, peaches, mozzarella and tomatoes are dressed with hot honey vinaigrette and crisp prosciutto. The thirty-two-ounce tortellini measure is cooked weight in this formula. Cool and drain the pasta before mixing so it does not warm the cheese or dilute the dressing.
No. The card specifies cooked tortellini, which is not the same weight as dry or refrigerated uncooked pasta. Cook according to the package, cool safely and weigh the amount used. Different brands absorb different amounts of water.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out:
- Set out: 32 oz cooked tortellini
- Set out: 4 oz prosciutto
- Set out: 8 oz pearl mozzarella balls
- Set out: 15 oz can corn kernels
- Set out: 3 small peaches, diced into small chunks
- Set out: 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
- Set out: 1/2 cup chopped basil
- Set out: 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Set out: 1/3 cup hot honey
- Set out: 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- Set out: 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- Set out: 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Set out: 1 tsp salt
- Set out: 1/2 tsp black pepper
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 400°F and spread prosciutto in one layer on a lined tray;
- Stage 2
- bake about 10–15 minutes, checking early for crisp edges, then cool.
- Stage 3
- Prepare thirty-two ounces cooked, cooled and well-drained tortellini and combine gently with drained mozzarella and corn.
- Stage 4
- Cut peaches and tomatoes and fold them into the pasta with basil.
- Stage 5
- Whisk olive oil, hot honey, Dijon, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper until combined, then dress gradually rather than flooding the bowl.
- Stage 6
- Add broken crisp prosciutto near serving, keep the salad chilled until needed and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Bake it in a single layer, let it cool and break it into pieces. Reserve it until close to serving if you want contrast, because prolonged contact with dressing softens it. Watch thin edges before the full fifteen-minute guide has elapsed. Use ripe fruit that still holds a slice. Very soft peaches break down as the heavy tortellini are turned. Cut them into manageable pieces and fold gently after the pasta and dressing are distributed.
How much dressing should I pour?
Whisk the full measured dressing, but add it gradually and stop when the salad is coated. Tomato and peach juices can loosen it while it stands. Reserve clean extra dressing separately rather than trying to drain an overdressed salad.
Can this sit out as a picnic salad?
It contains perishable pasta, cheese and meat and needs cold storage. Transport it in a chilled container and bring out small portions at serving. Hot honey and vinegar do not make the assembled salad shelf-stable. Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below; do not wait for a large hot batch to cool completely on the counter. University of Illinois Extension’s leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window and 165°F for reheating foods served hot. Keep cold salads and toppings chilled, and follow shorter product-label limits where applicable. Do not leave the prepared dish out longer than two hours, or one hour above 90°F; return the remaining batch to cold storage.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Italian Grinder Pasta Salad with Deli Meats and Provolone or Black-Eyed Pea Cowboy Caviar with Beans and Corn. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal. Recipe guidance is based on the listed ingredient amounts and the method checks above. Timing is an estimate rather than a kitchen-test result; ingredient brands and cookware can change the outcome.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Do I buy thirty-two ounces of dry tortellini?
No. The card specifies cooked tortellini, which is not the same weight as dry or refrigerated uncooked pasta.
- When should prosciutto be added?
Bake it in a single layer, let it cool and break it into pieces. Reserve it until close to serving if you want contrast, because prolonged contact with dressing softens it.
- Which peaches work best?
Use ripe fruit that still holds a slice. Very soft peaches break down as the heavy tortellini are turned.
- How much dressing should I pour?
Whisk the full measured dressing, but add it gradually and stop when the salad is coated. Tomato and peach juices can loosen it while it stands.
- Can this sit out as a picnic salad?
It contains perishable pasta, cheese and meat and needs cold storage. Transport it in a chilled container and bring out small portions at serving.