Tortellini Pasta Salad (Printable View)

Tender cheese tortellini with crisp vegetables in zesty Italian dressing. Ideal for gatherings and meals.

# What You Need:

01 - 1 lb fresh cheese tortellini

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

07 - ½ cup mozzarella balls, halved

08 - ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

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

01 - Cook the tortellini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

02 - In a large bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, black olives, red onion, mozzarella balls, and basil.

03 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

04 - Add the cooled tortellini to the vegetables. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until everything is evenly coated.

05 - Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld. Toss again just before serving.

01 -

It comes together faster than you can set the table and tastes even better the next day
The combination of tender pasta, crisp vegetables, and zesty dressing hits every craving in one bite

02 -

Rinse the tortellini thoroughly under cold water or the residual heat will wilt your fresh vegetables and melt the mozzarella too much
The salad really does need that thirty minute chill time because the flavors transform completely once the dressing soaks into the pasta

03 -

Cut all your vegetables to roughly the same size so each forkful has a perfect balance of ingredients
Season the final salad with an extra pinch of salt before serving because cold dishes often need more seasoning to taste properly