Tortellini Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Fresh tortellini with crisp vegetables and zesty Italian dressing. Perfect for gatherings and light meals.

# 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 - Cook tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to halt cooking process.
02 - In a large 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, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar until emulsified.
04 - Add cooled tortellini to vegetable mixture. Drizzle with dressing and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
05 - Refrigerate salad for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Toss again immediately before serving.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The cheese-filled tortellini stays perfectly tender even after chilling, unlike regular pasta that can turn rubbery
  • You can prep everything ahead and it actually tastes better after the flavors hang out together
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta with cold water immediately after draining or it will keep cooking and become mushy
  • The salad needs at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator for the dressing to really soak into the tortellini
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables slightly larger than you think you should because they shrink in the dressing
  • Save a little basil to garnish right before serving so it looks freshly made

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