Caprese Pasta Salad

We're going over to a friend's tonight for grilling, delicious food, wine and good conversation. I was asked to bring a salad to the party, but I didn't want to bring my old stand-by rotini noodle pasta salad. It's delicious, but boring. Rob and I have been eating whole-wheat tortellini from Safeway with olive oil, salt, pepper and grated romano cheese. I decided to do a riff on that simple pasta dish:

Caprese Pasta Salad

18 oz whole-wheat tortellini (fresh, in the refrigerator section)
3 sprigs basil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 c. romano cheese
2-3 good glugs of olive oil (there's no measurement here, just wing it)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the tortellini to package directions. Rinse in cool water and toss with good olive oil. How much olive oil depends completely on your tastes. I use enough to keep the pasta from sticking together, not enough to drench it or have a bunch running around in the bottom of the bowl. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and toss with the pasta. Sprinkle in a good amount of romano cheese - I guesstimated it at just shy of 1/4 cup. Salt and pepper to taste. Pick all of the leaves off the basil sprigs, roll them tightly in one cigar-shaped roll, and slice them thinly (chiffonade). Toss with the pasta and tomatoes, refrigerate. Before serving, give everything a good stir and add more olive oil if you want.

Aside -- I'm sure by now, you've figured out that I'm not a photographer. I seriously take all of my food photos with my blackberry in whatever lighting I can get. But, I particularly love how the dish appears to be floating in space on this one. Yay for a black coffee table! =)