Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable version)

Cheese tortellini with crisp vegetables in zesty Italian dressing. Ideal for picnics and potlucks.

# What you 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 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Dressing

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

# How To:

01 - Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, and basil.
03 - Add the cooled tortellini to the bowl.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently toss to combine.
06 - Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top and toss again lightly.
07 - Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This salad actually tastes better after the flavors hang out together for a bit, making it perfect for meal prep or make-ahead entertaining
  • The combination of cool, tender pasta with crisp vegetables creates this incredibly satisfying texture that keeps you coming back for just one more bite
  • You can throw whatever vegetables you have in the crisper drawer into this salad and it will work beautifully
02 -
  • Rinse your cooked tortellini under cold water immediately or the residual heat will continue cooking the pasta into a gummy texture
  • Wait until just before serving to add the final Parmesan topping so it does not get soggy from the dressing
  • This salad is best served within two hours of dressing it, though the undressed components can be prepped a day in advance
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables into uniform pieces so every forkful has the perfect balance of all ingredients
  • Use a microplane to grate your garlic for the dressing—it practically disappears into the vinaigrette while still infusing plenty of flavor
  • If you know you are serving this outdoors, slightly undercook your tortellini since it will continue to soften as it sits

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