Recipes

Tortellini Kale Salad with Crispy Salami & Garlic Vinaigrette

This main dish salad tosses hearty kale, almonds, chickpeas, and salami with our Tri Color Tortellini and a delicate vinaigrette made with our Creamy Garlic Sauce.

Ingredients

Garlic Vinaigrette
  •  6 tablespoons Armanino Garlic Sauce
  •  4 teaspoons cider vinegar
  •  2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  •  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  •  ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  •  ¼ teaspoon salt
  •  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
  •  1 lb Armanino Tri Color Tortellini, cooked and cooled
  •  1 bunch kale, stems removed and discarded (about 1 pound)
  •  3 oz sliced hard salami, ⅛” thick from the deli counter
  •  ¾ cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  •  ⅓ cup coarsely chopped smoked almonds
  •  ¼ cup shaved parmesan

Directions

  1. For the vinaigrette: Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well combined. Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated until needed. Let come to room temperature before using.
  2. For the salad: cook the tortellini according to the package directions, drain and let cool until needed.
  3. Cut the salami into thin batons, about ⅛” thick.
  4. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the salami until crispy yet still pliable about 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them toward the end as they’ll go from perfect to burnt quickly.
  5. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil.
  6. Tear the kale into bite sized pieces and toss with the vinaigrette in a large bowl, massaging the kale to fully coat.
  7. Add the cooked tortellini, chickpeas and chopped almonds. Toss to combine. Top with the crispy salami and shaved parmesan. Serve.
  8. Make ahead: the salad will hold well for several hours though the salami will lose some its crispiness if left to sit – save that to garnish at the last moment. Give a quick toss just before serving.

Chef’s Tips

  • For a tasty – and economical – addition to the vinaigrette, replace some of the olive oil with the fat rendered from crisping up the salami. It’s a touch salty so keep that in mind when seasoning.
  • Use a vegetable peeler to peel nice, long shavings from a block of parmesan.
  • The recipe works best with a firmer type salami – hard salami or even pepperoni. A softer tyle, like Genoa, is rather fatty and doesn’t crisp up as nicely. You can also use prosciutto or bacon.
  • A grilled chicken breast or slices of grilled steak would be very nice and make this more of a main dish type of salad.
Yields
6 servings
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes

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