Hearty Italian Pasta Salad

We be getting our grill on around here! 

Lordy, lordy … summer isn’t one of my favorite seasons (Fall girl represent!), but since it brings grilling to the forefront of our menu planning, I allow it to come around once a year :)

Dominic is our main grill man. When we got married and had money to spare (that phrase literally makes me laugh now) we bought a Weber – his dream grill – and I’m so happy we did. In its’ day we’ve whipped up steaks, chicken, delicious veggies and one of my favorites … grilled fruit. Pretty much, grilling is always a win in my mind since all I have to do is gather the ingredients and set the table. Hubs takes care of the rest and it always turns out divine which is more than I can say for my indoor kitchen meals.

July is National Grilling Month, and to celebrate, Pompeian, a leader in olive oils and vinegars, is sharing simple tips and recipes to help you get a taste of the Mediterranean without leaving your backyard, such as swapping butter or vegetable oil for Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or OlivExtra Premium Mediterranean blend and combining Pompeian oils and vinegars in place of bottled dressings and marinades. We’re jumping on the celebration bandwagon and adding a number of grillicious (yes, grill-icious!) meals to our dinner schedule. First up, this crowd pleasing Mediterranean delight. And when I say Mediterranean, I can assure you it will be flavorful, healthy and oh so yum. Because I married into a real live (non-mafia) Italian family and Dominic doesn’t take to kindly to fake Italian food. Salute, friends!

Hearty Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 2 teaspoons Pompeian oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1 pound cheese tortellini, cooked according to directions
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
• 1 container grape tomatoes, cut in half 
• 1/2 pound deli cut salami, cut into strips
• 12 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1/4 cup Pompeian oil of your choice
• 4 tablespoons balsamic 
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

Directions

• Bring grill to medium heat.
• Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Then, place on grill. Close grill and allow to cook for 5 minutes. 
• Flip each chicken breasts, close lid and allow to cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. The size of your chicken breasts will determine exactly how long they need to be grilled for. 
• Remove from heat, allow to cool. While cooling, prepare tortellini according to package directions, dice mozzarella, cut cherry tomatoes, slice salami and mince basil.
• Then, prepare the salad dressing … in a mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup Pompeian olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. Whisk well.
• Once chicken is cooled, slice/dice into bite size pieces.
• Place all ingredients – cooked tortellini, chicken, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes and basil in a large bowl and toss with dressing.

Serve with fresh bruschetta – grill the bread if you want! And as you take your first bite, don’t forget to close your eyes and pretend you’re on a Tuscan balcony overlooking a picturesque vineyard. That’s what I do! Oh, and a sip of wine. Don’t forget that! I’ll take a sweet moscato, I think :)

What are your favorite grilling recipes? I’d love to pin some of your favorites for future dinner ideas … you know, before our grill goes into rainy Northwest weather forced hibernation. Share a link or two in the comments!