I have made this dish over 3 dozen times (for catered events, family, parties, etc.) It always gets raves--no leftovers!! As recommended by others, I blanch the broccoli florets for about 30 seconds, plunge into ice water until cooled, then drain and dry. The broccoli stays a gorgeous green and is easier to eat. I usually omit the raisins, but have them on the side for sprinkling. Also, I usually make 1 1/2 times the dressing. Typically, I mix the salad together with about 1/3 of the dressing and leave covered tightly in the fridge overnight or for several hours-the pasta soaks up the dressing. About 30-60 minutes before serving, I add the rest of the dressing. This salad is always a hit!
I love this salad but I find the the dry tortellini (found on the shelf in the pasta aisle) holds up so much better than the refrigerated (and it is a much better bang for your buck). I used Barilla cheese tortellini and it was absolutely superb!
Delish! Make sure to do these few things, and your salad will be Fabulous. 1.) Blanch brocolli peices in almost boiling water for about 1 minute, scoop out and put in ice water to shock and produce a beautiful green 2.) toast sunflower seeds 3.) if you use frozen tortelinni, cook for only 2-3 minutes in not-quite-boiling water- they will be done enough, any longer and they will be mushy and fall apart 4.) make 4 times the dressing called for, use a combo of miricle whip and mayo and only 1/2 cup sugar. Lastly, mix pasta, broccoli, craisins and 2/3 of the dressing the day before and let it marinate! Top with the rest of the dressing, seeds and bacon (i didn't use onion) right before serving. Your family will love this!
Loved this! Be careful with the tortellini. I hadn't cooked with it before and it tended to fall apart with too much stirring. (I may have overcooked it) I used tri-colored tortellini and craisins for a more festive look, used just less than 1/4 cup sugar and doubled the rest of the dressing ingredients. I blanched the broccoli for 30 seconds. I also followed the suggestion to mix salad with 1/3 of dressing and leave covered in fridge overnight. I added the rest of the dressing an hour before serving. Oh - and I do wish I would have chopped the onions more finely. Resulting taste was a bit more "oniony" than intended. Overall, it turned out wonderfully! I was concerned that the flavors wouldn't blend well, but this was great together!
Perfection!...I made this for a group of fifty people. Everyone gorged themselves on it and asked for the recipie! Their was nothing left! Three catering trays were devoured!!! The only adjustments I made were as follows...I reduced the sugar, and sugared 'to taste'. I omitted the raisins, as most people do not like them, and replaced them with cashews(WOW!). I was able to find tri-colored frozen tortellini at a wholesale club and it really added to the presentation. I steamed my broccoli as well. Also, ***VERY IMPORTANT TO DO...DOUBLE THE DRESSING*** I added half the night before and the rest before serving. My advice is not to skip this very important step, it makes all the difference in the world. Folks, it doesn't get much better than this!!!!!!!
I bring this to every picnic super bowl party baby shower etc. It is so so good. I always make 1.5 times the dressing as recommended by other reviewers. I like it sweet so I leave in the sugar. Also I blanch the broccoli and onions for a minute before adding them (just throw them into the pasta pot the last minute that the tortellini is cooking) this makes the broccoli easier to chew and the onions less sharp.
Great recipe which was well received at a recent pot luck dinner. Per other reviews I did make a few adjustments. For the dressing I used 1 1/2 cups mayo 6 T sugar and 1 T Cider Vinegar. I reserved some of the dressing to toss just before serving since pastas absorb a lot of dressing as they sit in the frig. I also save some bacon to sprinkle on top just before serving. Like many others I did blanch the broccoli. Very tasty recipe!!
Very tasty! Nice change from the traditional (boring) pasta salad. Recipe has been requested everytime I've served it. Just a few suggested changes - double the dressing blanche the broccoli DECREASE THE ONION to about a 1/4 add lightly toasted cashews and use a combination of raisins and craisins. A little time-consuming but well worth it. I expect to be making this regularly in the future.
At a large family gathering we were raiding the sweets for an evening snack and my cousin opted for another portion of this salad instead! Lazy cook that I am I use barely thawed frozen broccoli florets. This went directly into my all time favorites file.
I don't understand all the raves on this dish...it's like any other broccoli salad smothered with sweet mayonaise. I made this for a potluck but I didn't eat this (I tested it though and wasn't impressed) I thought others will like it...which most did. As for me I wasn't fond of it. If you are worried about your weight skip this one...it's too fattening and isn't all that tasty -- UNLESS you like sweet mayonaise on your broccoli and bacon.
