Packed with bright and fresh ingredients like peas, arugula and fresh herbs, every bite is delightful.

Make this for an easy summer dinner or pack it up for a picnic!

This recipe is not your typical pasta salad; it’s light and fresh with a lovely lemon and oregano vinaigrette. It’s like summer in a bowl!

What makes this recipe even better is it’s simplicity; it truly comes together in under 25 minutes. And that’s why it’s a part of my Simple Summer Series!

Everything You’ll Need to Make this Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Cheese Tortellini: Fresh or frozen cheese tortellini works best in this salad.

Green Peas: Use fresh peas or simply defrost frozen peas.

Arugula: Fresh, crisp arugula adds a nice bite to this pasta salad.

Parmesan Cheese: Adds a bit of saltiness and creaminess to the dish.

Fresh Herbs: Parsley and basil are the best mix of herbs to complement all of the other flavours.

Garlic: A flavour booster in the salad dressing.

Olive Oil: The base of the pasta salad vinaigrette.

Lemon: Lemon juice is the other key ingredient in the dressing and brightens up the entire dish!

Dried Oregano: Brings the dressing flavours together.

Salt & Pepper: Always key ingredients in any recipe.

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Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Easy summer tortellini pasta salad with fresh herbs, arugula, peas, parmesan and a divine lemon oregano dressing. A simple dinner or take on a picnic!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword pasta salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 350-450 g fresh or frozen cheese tortellini about 12-16oz tortellini
• 1 cup peas, fresh or thawed from frozen
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley and basil)
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup packed fresh arugula

Lemon Oregano Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• juice from one lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp dried ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• pinch ground pepper

Instructions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Make the dressing by whisking or shaking in a jar the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place the cooked tortellini in a large mixing bowl. Add peas, herbs, shredded parmesan cheese and arugula. If you're making this ahead of time, leave out the arugula and mix it in just before serving.
• Drizzle with the lemon oregano vinaigrette and stir until ingredients are well coated.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

In every bite of this salad you get the freshness from the peas and arugula; the creaminess of the tortellini and parmesan cheese; and the brightness of the herbs and lemon from the dressing.

Tips to make the best pasta salad

• Cook the tortellini according to the package directions; when it floats to the top it’s done. You don’t want to overcook the pasta.
• If you’re making this dish ahead of time, to take somewhere or for dinner on the same day, add in all the ingredients except the arugula. Toss the arugula in just before serving so it stays nice and crisp.

How to enjoy this easy pasta salad

• Picnic – So simple to pack for a picnic!
• Barbecue or Potluck – A delicious side dish for any barbecue or potluck.
• Easy Lunch or Weeknight Dinner – Make ahead of time and mix in the arugula just before serving.

Stay tuned for more simple summer recipes!

More summer salad recipes to love from the blog:

Blueberry Basil Summer Green Salad

Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas

Quick Summer Green Salad Recipe

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

Perfect for summertime BBQ’s, picnics or whenever you want to enjoy something seasonal.

From cocktails to desserts, appetizers and brunch, you’re sure to find something to enjoy.

It’s fruit season friends! Time to add fresh summer fruit to allll of the recipes you make.

During this time of year I’m pretty sure I add fruit to at least one meal a day: berries to my pancakes; peaches to cocktails; and, rhubarb to all of my desserts.

Let’s enjoy all that summer has to offer with 20 summer fruit recipes!

Summer Fruit Appetizers

Berries pair with goat cheese in these summer appetizers; they’re a match made in summer fruit recipe heaven!

Blueberry & Goat Cheese Crostini Appetizer

Mixed Summer Berry Goat Cheese Crostini

Brunch

Blueberries, peaches, plums, strawberries and apricots make an appearance in these delicious brunch recipes!

Stone Fruit (Breakfast) Crumble

Summer Brunch Board

Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Summer Berries on Toasted Sourdough

Cocktails

Peaches, strawberries, cherries and rhubarb are all perfect for a summer cocktail!

Strawberry Rosé Spritzer

Peach Basil Wine Spritzer

Strawberry Lemonade Rosé Punch

Cherry Bourbon Lemonade Smash

Berry Rhubarb Kombucha Sangria

Summer Fruit Desserts

Rhubarb, raspberries, peaches, strawberries and blueberries make an appearance in the most delectable summer desserts!

Grilled Peaches with Oat Crumble & Vanilla Ice Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies

Rhubarb Cake

Summer Fruit with Whipped Cream

Strawberry Rhubarb Toasted Oat Sundaes

Raspberry Rosé Popsicles

Summer Fruit Jams

There’s nothing better than jam made with summer fruit; it’s even better when it’s made with just 4 ingredients like the recipes below!

Easy Strawberry Jam

Apricot Jam

Easy Plum Jam

I truly hope you find some new summer recipes to love! It’s the perfect season to head to the market, grab fresh produce and make simple recipes that will delight.

More summer recipes to love from the blog:

Kale & Peach Salad with Feta and Toasted Pepitas

How to Create a Summer Picnic

Summer Cheese & Charcuterie Board

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post 20 Fresh Summer Fruit Recipes to Make this Season appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

I love to entertain during the summer months and I like to keep recipes simple, using seasonal produce where possible and a delicious base like focaccia bread.

That is where COBS Bread comes into play; there is a location very close to my house (where I’ve certainly treated myself to their fresh-baked scones) and now they’re celebrating the release of their new Focaccia! So, I’ve partnered with COBS Bread to bring you a delicious and easy summer recipe which is perfect for entertaining using their Italian Herb Focaccia.

The Italian Herb Focaccia is hand-crafted and baked from scratch daily with aromatic herbs and more extra virgin olive oil than any of COBS Bread other loaves.

When I was creating this recipe I wanted it to be as straightforward as possible so you can whip-up it up quickly and then spend time with your guests enjoying this summery bite!

What I love about using the Italian Herb Focaccia is the delicate use of herbs in the bread including garlic, basil, oregano & marjoram which compliment all the other ingredients wonderfully.

The combination of peppery arugula with creamy mozzarella and prosciutto with the Italian Herb Focaccia is extremely satisfying. Then you top everything with a couple slices of grilled peach to add just a touch of sweetness; it’s truly an ultimate summer bite!

Here is how to make this Summer Focaccia Recipe:

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Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia

The combination of peppery arugula with creamy mozzarella and prosciutto with the Italian Herb Focaccia, topped with a couple slices of grilled peach to add just a touch of sweetness is the ultimate summer bite!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword summer appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Jess

Ingredients

• 1 loaf COBS Bread Italian Focaccia
• 2 peaches, sliced into 12 pieces per peach
• 250 g soft mozzarella, divided into 12 pieces
• 3 cups arugula
• 6 slices prosciutto, cut in half
• extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Heat grill to 400F,
• Divide the mozzarella into 12 pieces.
• Cut the focaccia into 6 squares and then each square into half for a total of 12 pieces of focaccia.
• Slice each peach into 12 slices. When the grill is ready, drizzle the slices with extra virgin olive oil and then grill each side of the sliced peach for about 2 minutes, until nice grill marks appear. Then remove from the grill and set aside. Keep the grill on.
• Toast the focaccia for about 2 minutes on the grill, just on the inside part of the bread (not the crust side) and then remove from the grill.
• To assemble layer arugula, then a piece of mozzarella, a piece of prosciutto folded in half and top with 2 slices of grilled peach. 
  
• Serve and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy these delicious summer bites made with COBS Bread Italian Herb Focaccia! I think I’ve found my go-to entertaining appetizer for the summer and I hope you have too.

Happy Entertaining!

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

Disclaimer: Thank you to COBS Bread for sponsoring this post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I support. All opinions are my own.

The post Peach & Prosciutto Summer Focaccia appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.

My Mom has been making basil pesto since I can remember, usually pairing it with pasta that is topped with chicken and fresh tomatoes.

When I was a kid I was always intrigued by this green sauce but now as an adult basil pesto is absolutely one of my FAVOURITE summer sauces! I’m not kidding when I say I could eat this pesto by the spoonful.

The flavour of basil mixed with a few simple ingredients including garlic, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil is one of the best combinations around.

This is my Mom’s simple and Easy Basil Pesto recipe.

Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: makes 1 cup
Equipment: baking sheet, food processor or blender

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups of basil, packed
3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Cook’s Note: If you don’t love pine nuts, you can easily substitute with almonds or walnuts.

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to a low broil setting. Spread the pine nuts out on your baking sheet and toast 3-4 minutes, until they start to turn golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In your food processor, add the basil, pine nuts and garlic and pulse until everything is chopped into small pieces.

Next, add in the salt and pepper and stream in the olive oil while your food processor is running on low until everything is combined.

Then, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust with extra salt and pepper if needed.

Personally, I like to let the pesto sit at least an hour in the fridge before eating AND the sauce is even better the next day.

Plus, you can use this sauce in so many different ways! I love to use basil pesto as a sauce on pita pizza’s, on pasta topped with fresh chopped tomatoes and with one of my dinner recipes, Pesto Baked Chicken.  You could also use this basil pesto to make a fresh salad using sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and topped with this pesto – the opportunities are endless!

So dive on in to making this basil pesto this summer and if you want freeze a batch to take out when the weather gets cooler.

Until the next cooking adventure,
Jess

The post Easy Basil Pesto appeared first on Cooking in my Genes.