Tortellini Salad with Feta Dressing

Summertime pastas are the easiest and can feed an army.  This recipe is for 8-10 but as you can see in the photo below, sometimes we scale it up to feed a small army.

Ingredients 

• 1 pound of cheese stuffed tortellini, made fresh by a specialty shop or in the refrigerated section of your market
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons red onion, rough chopped
• 12 basil leaves, rough chopped, plus more for the top
• 6 ounces feta, packaged in brine
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons mayonaise
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and rough chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled and touch chopped
• 1 pint of cherry red tomatoes
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Making It

• Heat a pot of water with 3 tablespoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a rolling boil, drop in the pasta and reduce heat to medium, cook just below instructed time, remove the pasta and drizzle olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and let cool to room temperature
• Turn the oven to 425 degrees and spread the sliced onions, peppers and cherry tomotoes on a baking sheet, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper then roast for up to 15 minutes.  You want the vegitables cooked but not mushy. Let cool to room temperature
• Fit a food processor with the steal blade and chop the garlic very finely.  Add the red onion, basil and pulse twice.  Add the feta, cream cheese, mayonnaise, olive oil ad lemon juice.  Pulse 5-6 times until all the ingredients are incorporated.  Add additional mayonnaise if the consistency is too thick for a pasta sauce
• Mix the pasta and sauce together
• Add the vegetables and pine nuts to the top and lightly mix in
• Add more fresh basil to the top for decoration and serve