Description
This Garden Tortellini Pasta Salad is a vibrant, veggie-packed dish tossed in Italian dressing. Made with tender cheese tortellini, crisp cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, briny olives, and creamy mozzarella pearls—this colorful salad is perfect for potlucks, meal prep, or a light summer lunch.
Ingredients
20 oz cheese tortellini, fresh or refrigerated
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 cup mozzarella pearls
⅓ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup kalamata olives, halved
½ cup Italian dressing
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to package instructions, about 3–5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let cool.
2. While tortellini cools, prepare the vegetables: halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumbers, thinly slice red onions, and halve the olives. If mozzarella pearls are large, cut them in half.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooled tortellini, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, red onion, and olives.
4. Pour in the Italian dressing and toss to coat evenly.
5. Add dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Mix again until fully combined.
6. Cover and chill the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.
7. Toss once more before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs or extra mozzarella if desired.
Notes
For a protein boost, add grilled chicken or chickpeas before chilling.
This salad tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge.
To keep it fresh for longer, store dressing separately until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
Keywords: pasta salad, summer salad, tortellini salad