Description
This Garden Tortellini Pasta Salad is the perfect cold dish for summer lunches, potlucks, and light dinners. Packed with cheese tortellini, crisp vegetables, creamy mozzarella balls, and a punchy herb vinaigrette, it’s a colorful, crowd-pleasing salad that’s both refreshing and satisfying.
Ingredients
1 lb cheese tortellini
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
⅓ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
1 cup mini mozzarella balls
½ cup Italian herb dressing
½ tsp dried oregano (optional)
¼ tsp chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Let cool completely.
2. While pasta cools, prep vegetables: halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber, thinly slice red onion, and slice olives. Drain mozzarella if needed.
3. In a large bowl, combine tortellini, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, and mozzarella.
4. Drizzle Italian herb dressing over the mixture. Gently toss until all ingredients are evenly coated.
5. Sprinkle with dried oregano and chili flakes if using.
6. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving to let flavors meld.
Notes
For a protein boost, add grilled chicken, chickpeas, or diced salami.
To keep the tortellini from going mushy, rinse with cold water and let cool fully before mixing.
The salad tastes even better after chilling—perfect for making a day ahead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Pasta Salad
- Method: No-bake / Boil
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: cold pasta salad, summer salad, cheese tortellini, make-ahead lunch