Tortellini Pasta Salad

This zesty tortellini pasta salad is an easy meal to keep on hand when craving something cool yet cozy. Prepared with cheese tortellini, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, salami, peas, and a splash of red wine vinaigrette, this delectable recipe is a favorite to whip up in advance and keep chilled in the fridge!

Tortellini becomes a cool, zesty salad

The spring and summer months lend themselves beautifully to light, fresh, and easy meals that are on the cool side, and I just love to take advantage of that.

I enjoy being able to prepare a nice salad of some sort ahead of time to keep in my fridge to have at the ready as a light lunch or dinner. It allows me to not have to cook quite as often during the course of a busy week.

While I enjoy creamy salads like my delicate macaroni salad, my loaded baked potato salad, or even my broccoli salad, I personally tend to favor the more tangy, vinaigrette-based recipes. My tortellini pasta salad with a few savory and delicious add-ins is among my favorites.

Brimming with lots of antipasto-style flavor from a few added bells and whistles, this recipe is wonderfully zesty, and perfect to tuck into whenever a “chill” meal is craved!

My recipe for tortellini pasta salad

The main star of this pasta salad is good-quality, store-bought cheese tortellini, which offers a tender texture and a delightful cheese filling as an added flavor bonus.

I love adding in tasty morsels such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, salami, cubes of fresh mozzarella, basil, and peas for color and texture.

And since any pasta salad worth its salt needs a really zesty and bright dressing, I like to go the route of a red wine vinaigrette. I make mine with a base of garlic, dried herbs, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It's super easy to whirl up in the food processor, or even shake up in a jar!

Just these few simple ingredients take a tortellini pasta salad from mediocre to mouthwatering, creating a little more complexity in each and every bite!

Here's a sneak peek at my tortellini pasta salad recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prepare my vinaigrette using my food processor, or even add all of the ingredients to a mason jar and shake up very well. I set that aside to have ready.
2. Next, I cook my tortellini pasta, then rinse it under cool water to get it ready to be dressed.
3. I add the cooked tortellini to a large bowl, add in my other tasty bells and whistles, then pour in as much of the vinaigrette as I desire. It's best to start with a smaller amount and add more as needed, to taste.
4. Finally, I spoon the tortellini pasta salad into a serving platter or large bowl, garnish with a few extra basil leaves.
5. I serve immediately, or keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.

Recipe

Tortellini Pasta Salad

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This zesty tortellini pasta salad with red wine vinaigrette, plus a handful of delicious morsels, makes for a refreshing light meal!

Category: Salad
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: Serves 8

Nutrition info: 377 calories (per serving)

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes (pasta cooking time)
Total time: 30 minutes

Tortellini Pasta Salad Ingredients:

• 1 pound (16 ounces) cheese-filled tortellini
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
• ½ cup peas (frozen and thawed)
• ¼ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (patted dry if packed in oil)
• ¼ cup pitted black olives, sliced (I like Kalamata)
• 4 ounces dry Italian salami, chopped or sliced
• ¼ cup fresh basil, stems removed, leaves julienned (finely sliced)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your vinaigrette ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. To prepare the vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients up to and including the black pepper into your food processor, and process for about 30 seconds to blend.
3. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the vinaigrette is well emulsified and blended. Pour into a glass dressing bottle or into a dish, and set aside. (You can also use a jar to prep this, and just shake it up.)
4. Then, gather and prep all of your tortellini pasta salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
5. Cook your pasta according to the package instructions, just until al dente. Once cooked, strain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool the pasta down.
6. Add the cooled pasta to a large bowl, along with the mozzarella, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and salami, and pour in some of the dressing, adding more as needed.
7. Toss everything gently together to coat, and check your seasoning to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, or more dressing. Sprinkle in the basil and gently toss once more.
8. Spoon into a serving bowl or onto a platter, garnish with a few extra basil leaves, if desired, and either serve immediately or keep cold in the fridge until ready to serve.

Tips & Tidbits for my tortellini pasta salad recipe:

• Prep your dressing ahead: You can very easily prepare your vinaigrette dressing a day or two ahead of time, and keep it cold in the fridge until you're ready to use it. If you do, simply bring the dressing to room temp, and pour it over your pasta salad before enjoying.
• Substituting vinegars: I love the flavor of red wine vinegar for this pasta salad, but you could also substitute white wine vinegar, balsamic, or even apple cider vinegar.
• Olive oil for more flavor: A good olive oil adds extra richness and flavor to the dressing for this salad. So opt for a good-quality oil here, if you can. You can also use a neutral avocado oil in a pinch.
• For a vegetarian option: To make this tortellini pasta salad vegetarian, leave out the salami and use only the veggies and cheese. It's still just as delicious!

Craving more cozy pasta salads? Check out my recipe for Zesty Italian Pasta Salad, Pesto Pasta Salad, Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, Summer Pasta Salad, Antipasto Salad, or even my recipe for Macaroni Salad!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!