Tortellini Pasta Salad (Print Version)
Cheese tortellini with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, mozzarella and a zesty Italian dressing - serve chilled.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 1 lb cheese tortellini, fresh or refrigerated
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
06 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
→ Cheese
08 - 1/2 cup mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Dressing
10 - 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
15 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnish
17 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
# How-To:
01 - Cook cheese tortellini in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta, rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, add cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, sliced red onion, black olives, red bell pepper, and sun-dried tomatoes, if using.
03 - Add cooled tortellini, halved mozzarella balls, and grated Parmesan cheese to the vegetables. Gently mix to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - In a small jar or blending bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried Italian herbs, sea salt, and black pepper until dressing is emulsified.
05 - Pour prepared dressing over salad mixture. Toss gently until all components are evenly coated.
06 - Scatter torn fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve immediately or chill for 30 minutes to enhance flavor.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Tossing just-cooked cheese tortellini with a punchy homemade vinaigrette lets every bite soak up pure flavor—no bland noodles here.
- It&aposs so colorful and hearty that even the kids ask for seconds, and it travels perfectly for picnics or breezy patio dinners.
02 -
- Once, in my impatience, I skipped rinsing the tortellini with cold water—they clumped together and didn&apost soak up the dressing as well.
- Using a small whisk or shaking the dressing in a jar absolutely makes the vinaigrette creamier and better distributed.
03 -
- Always salt the pasta water generously—bland tortellini just don&apost shine.
- Shaking the dressing with mustard until fully emulsified means leftovers won&apost separate.