Tortellini Pasta Salad Italian (Printable View)
Vibrant tortellini salad with crisp vegetables and zesty Italian dressing. Ideal for gatherings and warm weather 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 (bocconcini), 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
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Boil tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking process. Set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, red onion, mozzarella balls, and fresh basil.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
04 - Add cooled tortellini to the vegetable mixture. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Refrigerate salad for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Toss again immediately before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing soaks into the pasta overnight making leftovers even better than the first serving
- Everything can be prepped ahead so you are actually free to enjoy your own party
02 -
- The tortellini will absorb dressing as it sits so make extra dressing to refresh leftovers
- Chopping all vegetables to similar sizes ensures every forkful has the perfect ratio
03 -
- Rinse the cooked tortellini under cold water immediately to stop the cooking process
- Double the dressing recipe and keep extra in the fridge for refreshing leftovers