Tortellini Salad with Vegetables

3oz Olive Oil
1 oz Fresh Basil, finely chopped
Juice from 1 large Lemon
1 Shallot, minced
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 lb Asparagus, woody ends removed, cut in 1-inch pieces
20 oz Cheese Tortellini (Buitoni brand, mixed cheese is a good selection)
10 oz Grape Tomatoes, quartered
12 oz jar Marinated Quartered Artichoke Hearts, cut each piece in half lengthwise
1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into thin 2 inch strips
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

Mix Garlic, Oil, and Lemon Juice in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Pour it over the chopped basil in a very large serving bowl. Doing this quickly after chopping the basil with help keep it from turning brown. Add Shallot, Grape Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, Bell Pepper, and Parmesan.
Heat a small pan on medium heat and toast the Pine Nuts until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add Pine Nuts to the bowl and stir.

In a large pot, bring 1 gallon of water and 1 Tbsp of salt to a boil. Cook Asparagus in the boiling water for 2 minutes for thin Asparagus and 3 minutes for the thicker, more standard sized Asparagus.
Keep the water in the pot, but remove the Asparagus and rinse in a colander with cold water. Add Asparagus to the big bowl of vegetables.
Cook the Tortellini in the remaining boiling water for 8 minutes. You may need to turn the heat down halfway through, since the starch from the pasta will form bubbles that can boil over.
Pour out the pasta into a colander and rinse in cold water. Add to the bowl with everything else and stir thoroughly. This can be eaten immediately or chilled before serving. Serves 4 to 6.