This easy pasta salad recipe goes together in minutes! It's a potluck favorite and the perfect side dish for summer barbecues.
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Simple ingredients. Quick & easy!
- Make it in advance!
- Works as a lunch or light dinner, too.
- Make it your own signature recipe with your favorite ingredients.
- It's even better the next day.
Change out the vegetables for whatever's fresh and in season at your local farmers market or grocery store and you'll want to eat this easy tortellini pasta salad all summer long.
🧾 Ingredients
These are the basic ingredients but feel free to add your own favorites! 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
- any fresh summer veggies like cucumber, raw zucchini, radish...
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
Step one
- Cook the tortellini.
- Cook the asparagus just until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water to maintain the pretty green color.
- Add both the pasta and the asparagus to a large bowl.
Step two
- Add the olives, red onions (or purple onions - whatever you call them), and bell peppers to the bowl.
- Mix gently.
- Add the Italian dressing and stir gently to coat.
Step three
- Cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours or up to 48 hours.
Step four
- Just before serving sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped, fresh basil.
- Pass more Parmesan at the table.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- large bowl
- large pot for simmering the tortellini
- knife
- cutting board
- strainer ladle - I love mine. It's big and has a bamboo handle - it's perfect for scooping out the tortellini from the pot!
🥫 Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for five to seven days. It's actually better the second day. This tortellini pasta salad does not freeze well!
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: This is safer for summer potlucks than macaroni salad because it doesn't have mayonnaise in it but 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.
- 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 - 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.
- 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.
- This makes a delicious main dish or a great side dish with grilled meats.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the most commonly asked questions about this recipe. If you don't find the answer to yours here leave a comment below or email me - I'll get back to you as soon as I can!
Absolutely! They are delicious in this easy pasta salad!
It's up to your tastes. I prefer my pasta salad at room temperature but many people prefer them cold.
About five days- seven at the most.
Related recipes
- 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.
- 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.
📞 The last word
- When I made this tortellini pasta salad a day ahead of time it soaked up the dressing and I had to add more before serving.
- Don't overcook the tortellini. If it's overcooked it will fall apart. Ask me how I know...
This is one of my favorite tortellini recipes - and definitely the one I turn to again and again during hot Texas summers.
📖 Recipe
Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
Print Add to CollectionEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 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
Step one
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions.
- Drain.
- Cook the asparagus until crisp-tender.
- Scoop out with a straining ladle or drain. Plunge into ice water.
Step two
- 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.
Step three
- 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.
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