Tortellini Salad

I found the base of this recipe in a Paula Deen magazine--and if Paula says it's good, who am I to argue with her? I did make a couple adjustments mostly because I'm trying not to gain 100 lbs during this pregnancy and I had to spice up the dressing a bit. It turned out great--a super compliment to burgers or any picnic.

You can absolutely use frozen or fresh tortellini at the grocery store but I found some dried stuff at Trader Joe's and it was inexpensive and really good.

Tortellini Salad

2- 12 oz packages dried tortellini (or 1 20 oz package refrigerated)
1 can canellini beans, drained

3 plum or Roma tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained

1 c. chopped artichoke hearts

1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup sliced green olives

20 slices pepperoni, quartered

1 c. Sun dried tomato vinaigrette

1 c. Italian dressing

Prepare the tortellini as directed. Cool completely. Toss all ingredients together and pour the dressing over, tossing to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. You may need to add extra dressing before serving so adjust accordingly.