Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable Version)

Cheese-filled tortellini tossed with crisp vegetables, fresh mozzarella, and zesty Italian dressing. Ready in 22 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fresh cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

→ Cheese & Herbs

07 - 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions until al dente, approximately 7 minutes. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking process. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
02 - While pasta cooks, halve cherry tomatoes and dice cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces. Seed and dice red bell pepper. Thinly slice red onion into half-moons. Slice black olives. Cut mozzarella balls in half. Place all prepared vegetables and cheese in the mixing bowl with cooled tortellini.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour vinaigrette over salad mixture. Gently toss with a large spoon to coat all ingredients evenly without tearing delicate tortellini. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over surface. Lightly toss once more to distribute.
05 - Allow salad to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes for flavors to meld, or refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes but tastes like you fussed over it
  • The flavors actually get better after sitting in the fridge for a bit
02 -
  • The salad is best served within a couple hours of dressing it or the pasta starts to absorb too much moisture
  • Rinsing the cooked tortellini under cold water is not optional, it keeps the pasta from becoming one gummy clump
03 -
  • Use an English cucumber instead of regular cucumber to avoid watery salad
  • Tear the basil by hand instead of chopping to prevent bruising

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