This simple recipe is full of fresh veggies and cheese-filled pasta all covered in a tangy Italian dressing and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
Best of all it goes together in minutes! Even the picky eaters love this one!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Quick and easy recipe can be a main dish or a side. Save time by making it in advance.
- This easy pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, cookouts, and summer days when it's just too hot to cook.
- Get familiar with tortellini. This versatile pasta is delicious in hot dishes or cold salads. Try cheese tortellini, spinach tortellini, tortellini stuffed with meat, or other variations.
This is one of my favorite pasta salad recipes (so move over classic pasta salad)!
Switch up the vegetables for whatever's fresh and in season at your local farmers market or grocery store and you'll want to eat this simple cheese tortellini salad all summer long.
All of the fresh vegetables give this easy side dish amazing flavor!
(In chilly weather give this hearty ravioli soup a try! )
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
This easy Italian pasta salad recipe is very versatile. Feel free to add your own favorite fresh veggies!
Possibilities include:
- cherry tomatoes
- black olives
- artichoke hearts
- fresh spinach leaves
- Mozzarella cheese
- sliced pepperoni
- pepperoncini peppers
- feta cheese
- green onions
- genoa salami
- leftover grilled chicken
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- Add pepperoni for a fun twist!
- any fresh summer veggies like cucumber, raw zucchini, radish...
You can even add the asparagus in raw for extra crunch.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Cook pasta and asparagus.
- Add remaining salad ingredients.
- Stir together.
- Add Italian dressing and mix in gently.
🥫 How to store leftover cheese tortellini salad
Store leftovers in an airtight container (or covered with plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for five to seven days. It's actually better the second day.
Pasta salads do not freeze well as a general rule.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: This is safer for a summer picnic or potluck than many summer side dishes because it doesn't have mayonnaise in it. Since it does contain dairy (the cheese filling) cover with plastic wrap and get it into the refrigerator within a couple of hours. If it's left out for more than three hours toss it. It's not worth the potential illness.
This is one salad that's perfect for meal prep! You can make a big batch of it on the weekend and it will be delicious all week long.
- Save time by buying bell peppers and onions already diced.
- I get the big package of tortellini at Costco. It's fresh and I think it tastes better in this salad. Plus, it's very affordable. Whatever kind you use just cook according to package instructions.
- I like zesty Italian dressing best in this cold pasta salad recipe - it gives it so much flavor. You can use what you like - even oil and red wine vinegar with a little Italian seasoning stirred in will work - but it's not my favorite.
- Keep extra dressing on hand in case you need it.
- I think tri-colored tortellini is really pretty for pasta salad recipes if you can find it. If not use the plain kind.
- Toss the tortellini with dressing while it's still warm. The pasta will soak up more of the flavor.
- If you like the flavor of fresh basil don't be afraid to add more than called for in the recipe!
- This makes a delicious main dish or a great side dish with grilled meats.
- Add pepperoni for a fun twist!
- Don't overcook the pasta. If it's overcooked it will fall apart. Ask me how I know...
Try this easy green bean salad next.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this easy tortellini salad recipe.
Absolutely! They are delicious in this easy pasta salad!
It's up to your tastes. I prefer my Italian pasta salad at room temperature but many people prefer them cold.
About five days- seven at the most.
Related recipes
- Italian pasta Salad is similar to this but made with rigatoni and a homemade vinaigrette that's naturally fat free.
- Potato Salad has all the creamy goodness you remember! This is the classic.
- Macaroni Salad is another family favorite that we've been enjoying for decades!
- Frito Corn Salad is a unique Tex-Mex salad with the crunch of corn chips.
- Pea and Cheese Salad is full of sweet peas and cubes of Cheddar cheese with crispy bacon stirred in.
- Texas Pasta Salad is a main dish salad with taco meat, beans, corn, and pasta all in a tangy lime dressing. YUM!
🍽️ Serve with...
Italian tortellini salad is good with so many different things! I like to serve it as a main dish on the hot summer days here in Texas. And by hot I mean 110F.
Since there's so many veggies in it it doesn't need much else on the table.
If we're grilling I'll make this simple salad to go with my favorite Lipton onion soup burger, grilled pear salad, and a lemon bundt cake.
📞 The last word
Just fair warning; when I made this cheesy tortellini summer salad a day ahead of time it soaked up all the dressing and I had to add more before serving.
Have an extra bottle of dressing on hand just in case.
This is one of my favorite easy meals in hot weather - and definitely, the one I turn to again and again during hot Texas summers.
It's a potluck favorite and the perfect side dish for summer barbecues.
I love how the Italian dressing soaks into the pasta and gives it even more flavor.
Not only is it perfect for on-the-go, busy families but take a large bowl of it to any cookout or get-together -- it's a crowd-pleaser!
Give this creamy, crunchy broccoli cauliflower salad a try, too.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad
Print Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound tortellini
- 1 pound asparagus, Cleaned, trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup zesty Italian dressing, may need more
- 1 cup kalamata olives, drained
- 1 cup bell peppers, diced
- ½ cup red onion, (purple onion) diced
- ½ cup Parmesan, grated
- basil, chopped
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions.
- Drain.
- Cook the asparagus until crisp-tender. It should be a bright green color.
- Scoop out with a straining ladle or drain. Plunge into ice water.
- Add the tortellini and asparagus to the large bowl.
- Mix in the rest of the ingredients except the Parmesan and basil.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to two days.
To serve
- When you're ready to serve, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap.
- Stir the pasta salad to mix up the ingredients again and make sure there isn't a puddle of dressing on the bottom of the bowl.
- If the salad seems dry add a little more dressing.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped basil.
- Serve.
Notes
- I get the big package of tortellini at Costco. It's fresh and I think it tastes better in this salad. Plus, it's very affordable. Whatever kind you use just cook according to package instructions.
- I like zesty Italian dressing best for this salad but you can use what you like - even oil and red wine vinegar with a little Italian seasoning stirred in will work - but it's not my favorite.
- The tri-colored tortellini is really pretty in this salad if you can find it.
- Toss the tortellini with dressing while it's still warm. The pasta will soak up more of the flavor.
- If you make this tortellini pasta salad a day or so ahead of time it could soak up the dressing and you might need to add more before serving.
- Don't overcook the tortellini. If it's overcooked it will fall apart.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published April 30, 2021. Last updated July 13, 2023 to improve readability and add helpful information.
C.J. says
Intrigued and had to make! Added though, tender crisp broccoli, radish, cucumber and 3 colors peppers. Used Olive Garden Italian dressing! It’s FABULOUS!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Sally says
all recipes make my mouth water !