• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Damn, Spicy!
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Tips
  • Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Tips
  • Gift Guides
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Tips
    • Gift Guides
    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Main Dishes / Summer Tortellini Salad

    Summer Tortellini Salad

    Published: May 19, 2021 · Last Update: May 19, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This quick and easy Summer Tortellini Salad is a crowd-pleaser cold pasta salad perfect for bbqs, parties, potlucks, and picnics! It’s drizzled with Homemade Italian Dressing and ready in just 15 minutes!


    summer tortellini salad


    Summer Tortellini Salad With Italian Dressing

    Hey loves!

    Today I’m sharing with you this easy + delicious Summer Tortellini Salad! It comes together in just 15 minutes, it’s drizzled with homemade Italian dressing and served cold.

    It has Tortellini, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onions, arugula, and juicy mozzarella ciliegine!

    The Tortellini salad dressing comes together in literally 1 minute: all you do is mix all the ingredients in a jar & give it a good shake! Drizzle that baby on top of your Tortellini pasta salad & you’re ready to go!

    It’s the perfect recipe for bbqs, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July or any other special occasion where you might want something easy, quick & delicious to feed a crowd!

    Let’s make it! 💕


    how to make cold tortellini salad recipe


    Summer Tortellini Salad Ingredients

    You’ll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what you’ll need:

    • Tortellini. Any flavor & size works! I used larger Tortellini (aka Tortelloni) with a ricotta + spinach filling. You can use refrigerated, frozen or dried Tortellini, just make sure to cook it according to the package instructions!
    • Cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes also work!
    • Red onion. Sweet onion works too if you’re looking for a tamer alternative!
    • Arugula. You can use spinach too!
    • Mozzarella. I recommend using mozzarella ciliegine but you can also cut a large mozzarella into cubes & add it to your salad! Make sure to pick a good brand for best flavor!
    • Italian dressing. For the homemade Italian dressing you’ll need high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, red vinegar, dried parsley, dried basil, garlic powder, dried oregano, paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper! Please, please, please don’t use premade Italian dressing! It’s so easy to make your own & it really takes your cold Tortellini salad to the next level!

    homemade italian dressing


    Optional Add Ins

    Spice things up ⏤ customize this salad, try any of these add ins:

    • Mini pepperonis
    • Feta cheese (instead of mozzarella)
    • Kalamata olives
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Pepperoncinis
    • Cucumbers
    • Red bell peppers
    • Grilled or shredded chicken

    summer tortellini pasta salad


    3 Tips for Success

    1. Cook your Tortellini until al dente, following the package instructions. If you overcook your Tortellini, it will be mushy & will easily fall apart when tossed!
    2. Rinse with cold water & toss with your dressing! Once the Tortellini is ready to be drained, drain and immediately rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking! Then add it to a large bowl and toss with your prepared dressing to keep it from sticking together and allow it to soak up some of that delicious dressing!
    3. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. If you’re in a rush, you can still serve this salad as is but pasta salads taste better after they’ve had the time to chill! Drizzle some extra dressing and toss again right before serving!

    cold italian tortellini salad recipe


    Can I make Italian Pasta Salad in advance?

    Yes! Pasta salads are delicious the next day! Simply toss all the ingredients together with half of the dressing and reserve the other half for when you’re ready to serve!

    Do not use fresh garlic as it doesn’t keep well! Stick to garlic powder for this recipe.


    How long is Italian Pasta Salad good for?

    Italian pasta salad keeps well for 2-3 days when covered with plastic wrap or stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

    Do not freeze this Tortellini salad as most of the ingredients contained do not freeze well!


    What goes with Tortellini Salad?

    I love this side dish with:

    • Chicken With Onions
    • Baked Honey Dijon Chicken
    • Baked Cajun Popcorn Chicken with Chipotle Mayo
    • Fried Zucchini Flowers Italian Recipe

    summer tortellini salad


    HAPPY BAKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love this easy, cold Summer Tortellini Salad as much as I do! 

    PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘

    If you like this Summer Tortellini Salad, you might also like:

    • Creamy Mediterranean Pasta Salad with Mozzarella
    • Ham and Peas Pasta Salad
    • Watermelon Salad With Feta, Mint & Cucumber
    • Russian Olivye Salad (Salat Olivye)
    • Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites Recipe)
    summer tortellini salad

    Summer Tortellini Salad

    Damn, Spicy! @ www.damnspicy.com
    This quick and easy Summer Tortellini Salad is a crowd-pleaser cold pasta salad perfect for bbqs, parties, potlucks, and picnics! It's drizzled with Homemade Italian Dressing and ready in just 15 minutes!
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Chilling time (optional but recommended): 30 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 10 people

    Ingredients
      

    For the Tortellini Salad

    • 1 20 oz package (566 g) refrigerated Tortellini (I used ricotta and spinach Tortellini but any flavor works)
    • 1 pint (473 g) cherry tomatoes halved
    • 8 oz (225 g) fresh mozzarella ciliegine
    • 2-3 cups arugula
    • 1/2 red onion chopped

    For the Homemade Italian Dressing

    • 3/4 cup (180 ml) high-quality extra-virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup (57 ml) red wine vinegar
    • 1/4 cup (57 g) freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese omit salt from the dressing if using Pecorino
    • 1 tsp garlic powder do not use fresh garlic unless you plan on finishing the salad the same day
    • 1 tsp dried parsley
    • 1 tsp dried basil
    • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
    • 1/2 tsp paprika
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp sugar or more to taste
    • 1/4 tsp salt or more to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Make the Italian dressing. Simply add all the Italian dressing ingredients to a jar and shake until combined. Pop in the refrigerator and chill until ready to use.
    • Cook the Tortellini in salted water according to package instructions. Drain when al dente and immediately rinse with cold water to stop it from overcooking. Add the Tortellini to a large bowl serving bowl, and toss with half of your prepared dressing. Add in the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and red onion, and toss.
    • If serving immediately: toss with desired amount of the remaining dressing and serve.
    • If chilling: cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until you're ready to serve. When ready, remove from the refrigerator and toss with the remaining dressing and serve!

    Notes

    📷 DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?!
    Tag @itsdamnspicy on Instagram and hashtag it #itsdamnspicy
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

     

    « White Chocolate Blueberry Bread Pudding
    Authentic Cannoli Recipe »

    Pop up

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. April says

      March 28, 2022 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, thank you!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Damn, Spicy! I share tried-and-true recipes from my trips around the world!

    You can expect new recipes weekly with a mix of sweet & savory!
    Read more »

    Contacts ⭐︎ New Here?

    GET A FREE ECOOKBOOK

    when you subscribe to my spicy newsletter!

    Footer

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Comment Policy

    Read

    • Recipes
    • The Food Blog Experiment

    Contact

    • Home
    • Contacts
    • New To Damn Spicy?

    This blog contains affiliate links, please read Disclaimer for more information.

    Copyright © 2022 DAMN SPICY

     

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT