Hi Everyone,
I am so excited about today’s post because I am hosting my very first #SundaySupper! So for today’s event, #SundaySupper teamed up with American Family Insurance to share with you recipes from the garden. Being that it is spring time, my favorite time of the year, one of my most favorite fruit from the garden is in season, which is strawberries! I love strawberries! I can not get enough of them and I fill myself up with them all summer long. So today I thought I would share with you one of my newest favorite pasta dishes, Strawberry Basil Pasta Salad! YUM!!!
This salad has it all it’s sweet, savory and chock full of strawberries and fresh basil from my garden. Plus to give it a little boost of flavor I topped it with some candies walnuts and of course fresh mozzarella. Even though I don’t show you in the pictures, I also made a simple homemade balsamic dressing to go over the salad. It is a perfect blend of balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. It’s simplydelicious!
Do you have a vegetable garden? I didn’t have one last year because my dog Sampson kept eating everything, so this year I decided to grow a vegetable garden in the front yard. It is thriving very nicely. I have tomatoes, peppers, basil, sage, oregano, cucumbers and zucchini growing. One of the best pieces of advice I can give when growing a vegetable garden that has tomatoes, is to plant your basil next to the tomatoes. For some reason planting these two together, really gives the tomatoes extra flavor. Remember that when growing your garden. If you don’t have room for a vegetable garden in your yard, you should make a container garden. Grow one or two of your favorite vegetables or make a pot of herbs. Herbs are easy to grow and really makes a difference in your cooking. Plus growing your own vegetables, you can have a nice organic garden, and the most tasty fruits and vegetables ever! Trust me, nothing beats homegrown fruit and vegetables!
- 2 10 oz. pkg. pesto tortellini
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 cups strawberries, cut in half if large in size
- 12 mozzarella balls
- 10 basil leaves, sliced thin
- ¼ cup candied walnuts, diced small
- Dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- Cook tortellini according to directions on package. Pour into a bowl, and add 1 tbsp. olive oil and salt; mix well. Let the pasta cool.
- Once pasta is cooled; add strawberries, mozzarella balls and basil leaves; mix well.
- To make dressing; in a bowl add balsamic vinegar, garlic, mustard and olive oil and whisk until combined. Pour over pasta salad; mix well. Top salad with candied walnuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: If making in advance; pour dressing over salad, just before serving.
I have to tell you this salad would be perfect for a picnic, serving as a main meal for lunch or dinner or simply having as a side dish next to hot dogs and hamburgers. I just love how light and refreshing it is. It’s not a heavy pasta dish, which I just love!
I highly recommend checking out the Food in your Garden #ChooseDreams Pinterest board to get more ideas on fresh, beautiful recipes from the garden. You can go here to check it out!!
You can also check out AM Fam Social Media Sites below:
I also wanted to let you know that Dennis from Culinary Journey, Isabel from Family Foodie and myself are hosting a live chat to discuss Recipes from the Garden on Wednesday, May 28th at 5pm (CST). I would love it if you came. Chef Dennis and Isabel will be doing a live cooking demo and I will be there to give tips and more. So stop by and check it out, we would love for you to come. You can go here!
Remember to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, sunshine and most of all get your hands dirty in the garden.
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
Toodles,
Jennifer
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Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here—>Sunday Supper Movement.
This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.