tortellini, arugula, goat cheese, and roasted tomato salad

We enjoyed the seared scallops with roasted tomatoes so much that we kept the trend going for last night's dinner.

This is a modification of something I had at Bristol Farms for lunch last week. The Bristol Farms version used moistened sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese-filled ravioli. We didn't have goat cheese ravioli, so the seven cheese tortellini was the next best option. (I still prefer small ravioli to the tortellini, due to a better cheese-to-pasta ratio.) Although we had julienned sun-dried tomatoes in our pantry, we opted for the roasted grape tomatoes. (Roasting the tomatoes intensifies their sweetness with minimal effort.)

Ingredients
1 lb fresh cheese ravioli (small) or tortellini
1 cup fresh grape tomatoes, roasted OR 1/3 cup moistened sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
2 cups arugula, washed and spun dry
4 TBSP chevre, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
6 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 TBSP vinegar (we used white balsamic)

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Make the vinaigrette in a small jar or bottle. Combine 4 TBSP olive oil, 1 1/2 TBSP vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Shake vigorously.
   
3. Arrange tomatoes in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan; lightly coat tomatoes with 2 TBSP olive oil. Sprinkle tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; toss well to coat. Broil 10 minutes or until tomatoes begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
4. Cook the pasta al dente in lightly salted water. Drain and rinse with cool water.
5. In a large bowl, combine the still-warm pasta, arugula, and tomatoes. (Be sure to use a spatula to get every ounce of the olive oil, tomato juices, and spices from the roasting pan into the bowl.) Shake the vinaigrette vigorously and confirm that the salt has dissolved. Pour over pasta, arugula, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with chevre. Serve immediately.