Tony's Tortellini Salad

by Mercy

Ingredients:
3 lbs cheese tortellini(Brand-celentano)tri-colored.
2 cans black olives, pitted-with juice
1 orange pepper-chopped
1 red pepper-chopped
1 yellow pepper-chopped
2-3 lbs. broccoli
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes
3 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup light olive oil
1/4 cup "peccorino" romano cheese(you can use parmesan cheese if you like it better)
1/2 cup FRESH basil leaves-chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. First cut your broccoli so that there is only a LITTLE bit of stalk left. Put the broccoli in a strainer. Put the strainer in a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Put the now cooked broccoli in a large bowl.
2. After the broccoli is done, add the 3 lbs. of tortellini to the boiling water.
3. While tortellini is cooking chop the 3 peppers, basil leaves, and sun dried tomatoes.
4. Add the chopped vegetables, cherry or grape tomatoes, olives(with juice), and cooked tortellini to the bowl.
5. Mix in Romano cheese, oil, and lemon juice. Add Salt and Pepper to your taste. Eat warm or chill over night and enjoy cold.
6.This salad is so colorful and good! You can use any brand of tortellini that you like, and really any vegetables that you like. Enjoy!