Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable)

Tender tortellini with crisp vegetables and zesty Italian dressing make this fresh salad perfect for sharing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fresh cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

→ Cheese & Herbs

07 - 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How To Cook:

01 - Boil tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool pasta. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
02 - Halve the cherry tomatoes. Dice cucumber and red bell pepper into uniform pieces. Thinly slice red onion and black olives. Cut mozzarella balls in half. Combine all prepared vegetables and mozzarella in the bowl with cooled tortellini.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over top and toss lightly once more. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours for enhanced flavor.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The way cold tortellini soaks up that zesty dressing creates something infinitely better than regular pasta salad
  • It travels beautifully and actually tastes better after sitting for a bit
  • You can prep everything ahead and toss it together when guests arrive
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta with cold water until it's completely cool or the heat will wilt the vegetables and melt the mozzarella
  • The salad needs those 30 minutes to 2 hours in the fridge for the flavors to really develop
  • This dish does not keep well overnight, so plan to finish it the same day
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables slightly larger than you think you should, since they shrink when tossed
  • Salt the pasta water generously since the tortellini itself is not heavily seasoned
  • Taste a piece of tortellini after cooling and adjust the salt before adding the dressing

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