Tortellini Pasta Salad - The Keep At Dwelling Chef

This pasta salad is filled with tacky tortellini, salami, contemporary greens, and contemporary mozzarella. It’s all topped off with our scrumptious do-it-yourself Italian dressing that’s really easy to place collectively, that you simply’ll surprise why you’ve ever used store-bought!

For a unique tackle the identical flavors, attempt our Orzo Italian Pasta Salad.

Why Our Recipe

Filling sufficient to be the primary dish, or served up as a aspect dish.
Home made Italian dressing that’s fast and straightforward to make, and oh-so scrumptious.
Retains effectively which is nice for leftovers, make-ahead choices, and meal prep.

The dressing is what actually takes this chilly tortellini pasta salad up a notch. You possibly can, after all, use store-bought for those who’d like, however our dressing recipe is oh-so-easy to drag collectively — and it’s filled with freshness! This pasta salad is so filling that it may be served as a meal by itself. It additionally makes an excellent barbecue or potluck dish.

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients for tortellini pasta salad are laid out on a table.

Cheese Tortellini: You should use the contemporary, refrigerated type, the frozen selection, or the dried possibility in bins discovered with the opposite pasta. Observe the instructions on the bundle to find out the cooking time.
Recent Mini Mozzarella Balls: The merchandise you’re on the lookout for could also be known as mini mozzarella balls, bocconcini, or mozzarella pearls. Different nice cheeses are diced block mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and cheddar.
Olives: the sliced black olives in a can are an excellent possibility, or you possibly can go inexperienced.
Salami: You may as well combine and match your proteins in our chilly tortellini pasta salad recipe. Listed below are a number of concepts to encourage you: Grilled rooster, Steak, Chickpeas, Tuna.
Greens: We want our Italian-style selection, however you will get inventive with completely different greens. Strive cucumber, pink or yellow bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, or asparagus.
Purple Onion: Can use sliced inexperienced onions if pink remains to be too sturdy.
Pepperoncinis: You may additionally substitute with banana peppers.
Cherry Tomatoes: Grape tomatoes additionally work and you should use pink or yellow.
Salad Dressing: You may make your dressing with contemporary herbs over dried. You’ll wish to use one tablespoon of finely minced contemporary herbs for each teaspoon of dried herbs the recipe requires.

Tortellini Choices

Relating to making that procuring checklist or grocery order, you would possibly discover that there are three choices to select from relating to tortellini. As well as, you begin to see some taste choices too.

Recent Tortellini: These are discovered within the refrigerated part of the grocery retailer in a plastic container relatively than a bag. They’re sometimes offered in portions of 9 ounces and 20 ounces. This recipe requires 20 ounces, however 18 ounces could be enough These find yourself having the very best texture of all of your choices, however they’re additionally the costliest. Observe the bundle instructions for cooking occasions, sometimes a couple of minutes in boiling water.

Frozen Tortellini: These are usually extra inexpensive than contemporary and are sometimes offered in baggage of 19 ounces, or as much as 3 kilos. Whereas this recipe requires 20 ounces, 19 ounces could be enough. These have a tendency to finish up mushier than contemporary or dried, so make sure to not overcook and comply with the bundle instructions for al dente.

Dried Tortellini: These are discovered within the pasta aisle and are essentially the most inexpensive of all the choices. It’s a bit extra shelf-stable and is usually a lifesaver for impromptu dinners. Cooking occasions are often a bit longer than contemporary or frozen, so comply with the directions on the field to make sure your tortellini is completely al dente.

Flavors and Colours: Inside all of those choices you’ll additionally discover varied flavors of tortellini—cheese, spinach and cheese, cheese and tomato, and so forth—in addition to colours of pasta, significantly inexperienced and tri-color. Any and all of those can be utilized.

Pasta Tip: Stopping Clumping

There are two issues that you are able to do to stop your pasta from sticking collectively. First, bear in mind to rinse your tortellini with chilly water as quickly as you take away it from the boiling water. Subsequent, earlier than you begin including the opposite substances, pour half of the dressing right into a bowl with the pasta and blend. Solely then do you have to begin including within the cheese, salami, and veggies. The added moisture from the oil within the dressing will forestall it from sticking!

Make-Forward Directions

You may make this chilly tortellini pasta salad as much as someday upfront. Cowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid and retailer within the fridge The salad will take in extra taste out of your dressing for those who let the pasta sit for at the very least an hour earlier than serving.

Storage Directions

Refrigerate tortellini pasta salad in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. After three days the greens won’t have the identical crisp texture.