I love hearty salad recipes, especially in the warmer weather months. Some of my favorite salads for entertaining include orzo salad, pesto pasta salad and this fresh and colorful tortellini salad. Pasta salad is a versatile side dish or main course that’s perfect for picnics, gatherings and potlucks. This Greek tortellini salad is a twist on the classic pasta salad and it’s totally delicious! Every time I bring it to an event it’s the first thing eaten. Serve your salad along with cilantro lime chicken, bacon wrapped pork loin or slow cooker ribs for a memorable meal.
Tortellini Salad Ingredients
To make this salad, you will need cheese tortellini, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, fresh parsley and fresh dill. The dressing is made with extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Tortellini Salad?
Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling water. Drain the pasta, then rinse it under cold water. Place the tortellini in a large bowl with the vegetables, olives, feta cheese and herbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge to enjoy later.
Tips For Tortellini Salad
I prefer to use fresh cheese tortellini for this recipe, but frozen tortellini will also work just fine. I like to use English cucumbers because they’re seedless. You can use standard cucumbers as well, just make sure you remove the seeds and peel first. This salad can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it. I like to mince the red onion very fine so that you don’t get large pieces of onion in each bite. No cherry tomatoes on hand? Grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes will also work.
Tortellini Salad Variations
You can add a variety of ingredients to your salad to make it more of a hearty meal, or just to change up the flavors a bit.
Protein: Try adding cubed chicken, sliced salami or cooked shrimp to your salad. Cheese: Swap out the feta for shaved parmesan or fresh mozzarella balls. Veggies: You can add more veggies to the mix such as bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, shaved fennel or spinach leaves. Nuts: Pine nuts or sliced almonds add great crunch to this salad.
You can never have too many pasta salad recipes, and this one is a total winner. The tortellini add so much extra flavor over a traditional pasta salad. Serve this one up and watch the rave reviews come in!
