Tortellini Pasta Salad

Tortellini pasta salad is one of my favorite ways to serve those cheesy little pasta-wrapped bites of joy. The red wine vinaigrette adds a depth of flavor to the crisp vegetables and pillowy cheese tortellini, making this cold pasta salad perfect for a potluck, brunch, picnic, or family get-together.

 

Our tortellini pasta salad takes minutes to make and is easily adaptable to your taste preference or what you have on hand.

We used tri-color cheese tortellini to make this delicious pasta salad, but you could use tri-color rotini or your favorite pasta shape.

This is the perfect side dish for summertime barbecues! This flavorful cold pasta salad is a delicious as it is beautiful.

The crisp garden-fresh vegetables not only add color but also flavor and texture, bringing smiles to your dinner table.

Ingredients to make Tortellini Pasta Salad

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my easy Tortellini Pasta Salad recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Can I change up the ingredients?

Absolutely! You can add red peppers, celery, little broccoli florets, or your favorite fresh veggies to the recipe. We used cherry tomatoes, but you can use grape tomatoes or dice whole fresh tomatoes.

If you’re in the mood for an Italian tortellini salad, add diced salami, pepperoni, black olives, small fresh mozzarella balls, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the recipe.

For a Greek tortellini salad, add kalamata olives and feta cheese to this flavorful side dish.

You can also add sun-dried tomatoes, green olives, artichokes hearts, pesto, grilled or roasted zucchini, eggplant, or asparagus tips.

If you’d rather not make the dressing, you can use your favorite balsamic vinaigrette or zesty Italian dressing to make this easy pasta salad.

You can also use balsamic vinegar to make the dressing; you may need more or less, depending on your tastes.

Grilled chicken or grilled shrimp can also be added for additional protein.

What type of Tortellini should I use?

Most grocery stores sell refrigerated fresh tortellini, which is my first choice, but frozen as well as dried can also be used. Just make sure to follow the instructions for cooking on the package of whatever type you end up using.

How to make Tortellini Pasta Salad

• Cook the tortellini per package directions for al dente.
• When cooked, drain, rinse with cold water, and place in a large bowl.
• Drizzle a little olive oil and toss to keep them from sticking together.
• Let them cool while you make the dressing and prep the fresh vegetables.

• Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice to a medium bowl.
• Whisk until combined.
• Add the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to the vinaigrette.
• Whisk to combine thoroughly.
• Add the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, carrots, and chickpeas to a large bowl with the cooled tortellini.

• Pour half of the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and stir to combine thoroughly
• Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the pasta salad and stir to combine. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (or overnight) to allow time for the flavors to combine.

This delicious tortellini pasta salad is a delicious accompaniment to many of your summertime favorites and is a delicious reminder of summer throughout the year.

Coleslaw, macaroni salad, and potato salad are some of our other favorite summertime side dishes.

Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Pasta salad does not freeze well.

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