Pasta Salad with Grilled Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

If you are like me, you hate heating up the kitchen during the dog days of summer - but a girl's got to eat!!  I happened upon this new recipe from Chef Ryan Scott - Easy Crab Pasta Salad with Grilled Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette...  I thought to myself --- this might be a good one for when we move. (Side note:  we are moving to Maryland - known for their crab.)  Then I decided - why wait til we move??  I made a few modifications, but you can find the original recipe here http://on.today.com/29oPqBy

Pasta Salad with Grilled Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette:
3 large lemons, quartered
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I actually used grapeseed oil)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Salad:
1-1/2 cups haricots verts or green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
1.5 lbs cheese filled tortellini
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf Italian)
1 teaspoon dried chives (or 2 tablespoons fresh chives)
1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 avocado, diced

Grill lemon quarters on grill or in grill pan until charred.  Once cooled, using a citrus press*, juice lemons.  Add lemon juice, mustard, honey, oil, salt and pepper to a mason jar - put on the lid and shake it up really good.

In a large pot, add water and 1/2 tsp kosher salt to water.  Bring water to a boil and add haricot verts, cook for 2-3 minutes until tender crisp.  Take haricot verts from boiling water and put them in an ice bath (water with ice cubes - to stop the cooking process).  Drain and pat dry.
Bring another large pot of water to boil, add tortellini.  Cook for approximate 2 minutes.  Drain.
Mix tomatoes, haricot verts, parsley, chives and tarragon together.  Once the tortellini is cooled add it to the vegetable mix along with the feta and avocado.  Add vinaigrette and toss gently.

Enjoy!


*Don't have a citrus press - using a wooden spoon crush all of the juice from the lemons, discard skins and seeds.