Left over spinach ricotta cheese totellini salad

What do you do with that tiny little amount of cooked tortellini you have in the refrigerator? Make a salad for lunch! (If you have a bigger amount of tortellini, make a bigger salad : ) Given that I was hungry and it was also lunch time and I had about a half a cup of cooked tortellini in the refrigerator the following recipe is what I came up with:

Tortellini and Spinach Salad

1/2 cup (or what ever amount you have on hand) cooked tortellini (any type, I just happened
to have the spinach ricotta cheese ones left over from Sunday)

Hand full of baby spinach leaves
2 small tomatoes, diced (I used campari tomatoes, really small about the size of a baseball)
Grated carrot
Thinly sliced Red Onion (use as little or much as you like)
Red bell pepper, diced (yes I am still trying to use up the bell pepper)
Slivered almonds
Balsamic Italian Dressing (recipe follows)

Combine all ingredients and toss (the spinach will "shrink" so make sure to add a good amount).
Use the dressing sparingly as it is not "low calorie."

Balsamic Italian Salad Dressing

Many years ago Consumer Reports published a recipe for Italian Salad Dressing, and I have yet to find any other recipe that is as good as this one. Over the years I have modified the recipe a bit here and there, but for the most part this is the same recipe as I found years ago.

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar (you can use red wine vinegar as well)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon dried Basil (use less if you have fresh chopped Basil)
1 teaspoon dried Oregano (see Basil)
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 or 2 cloves of Garlic (and no you can't use powdered garlic, garlic salt or any other type of
garlic other then fresh)

Salt and pepper to taste (try to use a pepper and salt mill for the best flavor)


Combine 2 tablespoons of the Balsamic Vinegar with the water, basil, oregano, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir well and add the rest of the vinegar. While continuing to stir SLOWLY add the olive oil in a steady stream (this helps to keep the dressing from separating.) This dressing does not need refrigeration and it keeps for at least a week.

Note: I usually use more vinegar to cut down the fat calories, the "traditional" way of making a dressing like this is to use 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 oil (way too much oil for me). Adjust the measurements above to your own taste, I don't measure anything when I am making this, oh, and don't forget to crush the dried herbs in your hand before you add them to the dressing (crushing them releases more of their flavor).

Ok, now I am going to go eat my salad. If you try this recipe let me know what you think.