Tortellini Pasta Salad Italian (Printable)
Cheese tortellini tossed with fresh vegetables and zesty Italian dressing for a satisfying cold dish.
# What You 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 basil.
03 - Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
04 - Add cooled tortellini to the vegetable mixture. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
05 - Refrigerate salad for minimum 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Toss again immediately before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tortellini stays perfectly tender even after chilling which is rare for pasta salads
- You can prep everything in the morning and it actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge
02 -
- Rinse the pasta in cold water until it feels genuinely cold or it keeps cooking and gets mushy
- The salad absorbs dressing as it sits so save a little extra to splash on right before serving
03 -
- Adding the basil right before serving keeps it from turning dark and sad
- Taste the salad after chilling because cold mutes flavors and you might want another pinch of salt