This tortellini pasta salad is jam packed with zesty Mediterranean flavors. A homemade Greek dressing perfectly complements the textural pasta and veggies in this amazing cold side dish!
In fact, this wholesome pasta salad can be more than a picnic side dish – it can easily be your whole meal.
Perfect for family barbeques and beyond, this is such a surefire success for feeding a hungry crowd!
If you’re looking for the kind of pasta salad that will have friends and family begging you to share the recipe, you’re in luck. This tortellini pasta salad is a fresh spin on a timeless classic – and one you’re sure to return to time and time again.
I love pasta salad so much that we even like to make an entire meal out of it around here. It’s great for lunch, and the leftovers get better on the second day after the flavors marinate.
This one is no exception. It’s filling, wholesome, and serves beautifully with a variety of main dishes. This recipe makes one of the best picnic food ideas, too – so refreshing! – and it’s so easy to customize!
Let’s make this tortellini pasta salad together – I’m so excited to share with you!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Make Ahead – This pasta salad is even better on the second day, after the flavors marinate.
Feeds a Crowd – Perfect for picnics, potlucks and family gatherings of all kinds!
Fresh, Vibrant Flavor – The homemade Greek salad dressing elevates this easy tortellini pasta salad to a whole new level.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tortellini – Choose your favorite type, we tend to like the frozen tortellini! To make this pasta salad vegetarian, use tortelloni, which does not have meat.
- Cherry Tomatoes – We like to slice ours in half. You can use any kind of fresh diced tomatoes here.
- Cucumbers – Small pieces of cucumber are a refreshing addition.
- Red Onion – Sliced thin for the perfect bite.
- Green Bell Pepper – You can use any color of pepper here.
- Olives – Choose your favorites, chopped into bite sized pieces.
- Feta Cheese – Crumbled or chopped Feta is perfect, but you can sub with your favorite kind of cheese.
- Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.
For the Greek Salad Dressing
- Olive Oil – Extra Virgin Olive Oil is best for this recipe.
- Red Wine Vinegar – You can substitute with white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar.
- Oregano – Dried oregano flakes.
- Sea Salt – Big cracks of sea salt are wonderful here.
- Black Pepper – Fresh cracked!
Variations
- Try a Creamy Pasta Salad Dressing instead of this vinaigrette
- Switch up the Cheese – Mozzarella balls or Parmesan will work well
- Add Pepperoncini
- Add salami
Tools to Use
- Mandoline (You can also chop by hand)
- Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
- Mixing Bowls with Lids
How to Make
Learn How to Cook Pasta right here, with all my favorite tips and tricks.
- Prepare Tortellini – Bring a large pot of water (salty like the sea) to a boil. Cook tortellini al dente.
- Next, Chop – Dice veggies and cheese into bite sized pieces.
- Shock Pasta – Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking, again preventing it from becoming mushy.
- Make Dressing – In a bowl or jar, combine dressing ingredients. Shake or whisk to combine.
- Finally, Toss – Mix tortellini, dressing and other ingredients until combined.
Tips
- Cook your noodles al dente. Don’t overcook your tortellini! Especially when the cooked pasta will spend extra time soaking in a dressing, you don’t need to cook it too long.
- Rinse pasta in cold water before combining the salad with other ingredients.
- Use a high quality olive oil. When you’re making such a simple dressing, the individual ingredients will shine!
- Reserve a little dressing to refresh this pasta salad prior to serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tortellini is typically stuffed with a combination of meats and cheeses, whereas tortelloni uses just cheeses and sometimes parsley or spinach.
You can use fresh, frozen or refrigerated tortellini for this pasta salad. Because you’re adding so many fresh ingredients and a zesty homemade vinaigrette, the flavors all combine for a fabulous side dish regardless of the type of tortellini!
Make Ahead
Pasta salad is wonderful for parties and potlucks because it’s so easy to make ahead, and it easily serves a crowd! Here are my best tips for making ahead.
- Al Dente Pasta – Don’t overcook your pasta to ensure that it won’t get too mushy when you’re making ahead.
- Up to Two Days Ahead – You can make this pasta salad up to two days in advance! Just refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Reserve Dressing – If the pasta seems dry after refrigerating overnight, add more pasta salad dressing and stir!
Dietary Considerations
- Nut Free
- For a Vegetarian version, choose a tortelloni (vs tortellini) that is stuffed with only cheese and parsley or spinach, not meat.
- To make Gluten Free, cheese a gluten free tortellini.
- To make Dairy Free, simply eliminate cheese.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – This tortellini pasta salad should not sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Refrigerator – Wrap your serving bowl tightly with plastic wrap, or choose a storage bowl with a tight fitting lid. Most pasta salads can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer – I do not recommend freezing this tortellini pasta salad.
More Inspiration
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Tortellini Pasta Salad
- 20 ounces Tortellini
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Cucumbers
- ⅓ cup Red Onion Sliced thin
- 1 Green Bell Pepper chopped (approximately 1 cup)
- ½ cup Olives sliced
- ½ cup Feta Cheese Crumbled or chopped
- ½ teaspoon Oregano Dried oregano flakes
Dressing
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Oregano – Dried oregano flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Tortellini – Bring a large pot of water (salty like the sea) to a boil. Cook al dente (so it doesn’t get mushy).
- Next, Chop – Dice veggies and cheese into bite sized pieces.
- Shock Pasta – Drain and rinse pasta in cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking, again preventing it from becoming mushy.
- Make Dressing – In a jar, combine dressing ingredients. Shake until well combined.
- Finally, Toss – Toss tortellini, dressing and toppings until thoroughly combined.
Julie’s Tips
- Cook your noodles al dente. Don’t overcook your tortellini! Especially when the cooked pasta will spend extra time soaking in a dressing, you don’t need to cook it too long.
- Rinse pasta in cold water before combining the salad with other ingredients.
- Use a high quality olive oil. When you’re making such a simple dressing, the individual ingredients will shine!
- Reserve a little dressing to refresh this pasta salad prior to serving.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Which tortellini brand do you recommend ?
Hello!
We love the Kirkland brand tortellini if you have a Costco membership! The Rana brand packaged tortellini is also really good.
I hope that helps, and I hope you enjoy!
Have a great week,
Julie