Tortellini Pasta Salad (Printable)
Cheese-filled tortellini with crisp vegetables and zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for gatherings and light meals.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 1 lb fresh cheese tortellini
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - ½ cup black olives, sliced
06 - ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
→ Cheese & Herbs
07 - ½ cup mozzarella balls, halved
08 - ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
→ Dressing
09 - ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
11 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - ½ tsp dried oregano
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How-to Steps:
01 - Boil tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to halt cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, diced red bell pepper, sliced black olives, chopped red onion, halved mozzarella balls, and chopped fresh basil.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Add cooled tortellini to the vegetable mixture. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Refrigerate salad for minimum 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Toss again immediately before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Cold pasta salads are the unsung heroes of feeding a crowd without spending your whole party in the kitchen
- The combination of cold tortellini and crisp vegetables creates this amazing texture contrast that keeps people coming back for seconds
02 -
- Rinse the cooked tortellini under cold water immediately after draining, or you'll end up with sticky, gummy pasta that refuses to separate
- The salad needs at least 30 minutes in the fridge—the flavors transform dramatically as they meld together
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables slightly larger than you think you should—they shrink a bit after marinating in the dressing
- If you're making this for a picnic, pack the dressing separately and toss everything together right before serving