Greek Tortellini Salad
Are you in need of a satisfying salad that comes together in a flash? This Greek tortellini salad combines tender cheese-filled tortellini, vibrant vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and a zesty dressing. It’s simple to throw together but brings bold flavors to any meal making it perfect for busy days.
Serve up this easy cheese tortellini pasta salad with all your easy dinner mains such as air fryer hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and fish sticks. It’s also perfect to take along to a summer potluck or BBQ!
Table of contents
Why You Will Love Greek Tortellini Salad
- It’s a super quick recipe that tastes amazing! No one will guess how little time it took to prepare!
- Great flavors and texture!
- Travels well! That means it is perfect to carry along with you to work or to a family picnic.
- A terrific make-ahead salad that works great to serve a crowd!
Ingredients
- Cheese tortellini: You can make this recipe using any type of cheese tortellini. Just be sure to follow the instructions on the package for cooking the brand you use.
- Italian dressing: My family likes Olive Garden Dressing but you can use any storebought brand or variety of Italian dressing.
- Cherry tomatoes: Perfect for virtually no prep when making this salad.
- Bell pepper: Use a combination of red and green for more color in your tortellini pasta salad.
- Onion: Red onion is my go-to onion for salads because it adds color as well as onion flavor.
- Fresh mozzarella: I like to use the small mozzarella pearls since they require no prep at all. If you can’t find them, use larger mozzarella balls cut in half or cut a large ball of mozzarella into cubes.
How To Make Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Cook the tortellini. When it’s ready, drain off the hot water, and then run them under cold water to cool them completely.
- Add the tortellini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, and mozzarella balls to a serving bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Store it in the fridge for two hours before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Don’t overcook the tortellini. Cook just to al dente so it’s a bit firm with a little bite to it.
- Drain and rinse the pasta immediately. This step is important because it stops the cooking process.
- More salad add-ins. If you’re looking to change things up a bit you can add black olives, pepperoncini peppers, walnuts, and other salad veggies you enjoy.
- Let it sit. Make sure to allow enough time to let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours. All the flavors really meld together during this time making the salad even better.
- Turn it into a main meal. Add a protein such as cooked chicken or chickpeas to make it heartier.
Recipe FAQ
Heck yes! It makes a great pasta for pasta salad. After refrigerating, I like to let tortellini salad sit for just a bit to allow the dressing to warm up before serving.
Yes, you sure can! There’s so much flexibility with this recipe so make it however you like it!
Yes, whether you buy it dry, refrigerated or frozen, it needs to be cooked before you can use it. Each brand is a bit different so be sure to check the instructions on the package.
Storing
- Store. Leftover tortellini salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. The longer it sits, the vegetables and pasta do soften a bit. Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before serving to allow it to loosen up a bit. Do not freeze leftover cheese tortellini pasta salad.
What To Serve With Pasta Salad
More Side Dish Recipes
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Greek Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
- 1 18-ounce package of cheese tortellini
- 1 cup Italian dressing, we like olive garden dressing
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- â…“ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the tortellini al dente according to the instructions on the package. Drain and run them under cold water to cool them completely.
- In a large serving bowl, add the tortellini, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, and mozzarella balls. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the tortellini. Cook just to al dente so it’s a bit firm with a little bite to it.
- Drain and rinse the pasta immediately. This step is important because it stops the cooking process.
- More salad add-ins. If you’re looking to change things up a bit you can add black olives, pepperoncini peppers, walnuts, and other salad veggies you enjoy.
- Let it sit. Make sure to allow enough time to let the salad sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours. All the flavors really meld together during this time making the salad even better.
- Turn it into a main meal. Add a protein such as cooked chicken or chickpeas to make it heartier.
- Store. Leftover tortellini salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. The longer it sits, the vegetables and pasta do soften a bit. Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before serving to allow it to loosen up a bit. Do not freeze leftover cheese tortellini pasta salad.
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