Summer tortellini salad is an easy pasta salad recipe made with tortellini, fresh summer produce, and a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing. This pasta salad is the perfect side dish for your next summer picnic!
Recipe summary
Flavor: Tender cheese tortellini, fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and feta cheese are tossed in a homemade vinaigrette dressing.
Make ahead: Assemble several hours beforehand and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serves: 12 people (great for summer picnics!)
Similar to: Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, Zucchini Ribbon Salad
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Tortellini - You'll need 20 ounces of fresh or frozen small tortellini for this recipe. Ravioli tend to be larger and wouldn't work well in a pasta salad recipe, so I don't recommend them as a substitute.
- Zucchini - One medium zucchini can be substituted with a cucumber or bell pepper if desired.
- Cherry tomatoes - You'll need one pint of cherry tomatoes, or 3 to 4 small diced roma tomatoes.
- Feta cheese - Feta cheese can be substituted with your favorite cheese. Mozzarella pearls, goat cheese, or even shredded mozzarella are great substitutes.
- Fresh basil - Adds fresh, bright flavor to the salad. If you can't find fresh basil, it can be omitted from the recipe. I don't recommend substituting with dried basil because we've already got plenty of dried herbs in the dressing.
- Homemade dressing - Olive oil, red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper create a simple homemade vinaigrette dressing.
How to make tortellini pasta salad
- Cook your tortellini to al dente according to pasta's package directions.
- Slice your vegetables and add to a bowl along with fresh herbs, cheese, and tortellini. Top with dressing and toss until coated.
Make ahead and storage
Summer tortellini salad is a great recipe to make ahead and store before an event or party. I recommend making your pasta salad at least 2 to 3 hours ahead of time to chill in the refrigerator and allow flavors to meld.
Tortellini pasta salad will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. However, fresh produce degrades over time. Pasta salad looks and tastes best when served within 1 day of preparing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, just like a traditional cold pasta salad, tortellini can be cooked, cooled, and eaten cold.
Yes, substitute the listed dressing ingredients with about ¾ cup of your favorite store bought dressing instead.
📖 Recipe
Summer Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini, uncooked
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- ½ cup fresh basil, julienned
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Vinaigrette dressing
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook tortellini according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water until tortellini is room temperature.
- Place tortellini in a large bowl with cherry tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and feta cheese. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour over pasta salad ingredients and toss until evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to chill and allow flavors to meld.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Storage: Prepared pasta salad will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, but will have best flavor and appearance if served within the first day.
- Salad looking dry? Pasta salad will continue to soak up dressing as it sits. If it begins to look dry, feel free to toss in additional oil and vinegar.
- Optional additions/substitutions: sliced olives, chopped bell pepper, cubed cucumber, and mozzarella cheese.
this is more than a side dish - it's a meal! especially when you add a protein - i added chilled jumbo prawns, kalamata olives, and artichoke hearts - excellent! thank you for the recipe!
I really love this salad and have made it several times. I add shrimp, a bit more zucchini, sliced red onion and sliced black olives. Thank you for the recipe! The dressing is healthy and not over powering. Truly one of my favorites!
Hi Sheila, glad to hear you enjoy the recipe!