Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable)

Tender cheese tortellini tossed with crisp vegetables, fresh mozzarella, and a zesty Italian dressing. Ready in 22 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fresh cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
04 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
06 - 1/4 cup black olives, sliced

→ Cheese & Herbs

07 - 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - 2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Dressing

10 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
12 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
02 - In a large salad bowl, combine cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, black olives, mozzarella, and basil.
03 - Add the cooled tortellini to the bowl with the vegetables and cheese mixture.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients. Gently toss to combine evenly.
06 - Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top and toss again lightly. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dressing soaks into the pasta pockets making every bite burst with flavor
  • It actually tastes better after sitting in the fridge for an hour so you can make it ahead stress free
  • Everyone assumes it took way more effort than it actually did
02 -
  • Rinse the pasta under cold water until it is completely cool. Warm tortellini will melt the mozzarella into a goo which is great for baked dishes but not for this salad.
  • The salad needs at least 30 minutes in the fridge for flavors to really marry. The tortellini absorbs that dressing and becomes incredible.
  • Do not add the Parmesan until right before serving or it will get gummy and disappear into the pasta.
03 -
  • Use room temperature ingredients when assembling so the cold pasta does not immediately harden the olive oil in your dressing
  • Taste and adjust the salt before adding the pasta since the tortellini and Parmesan both bring saltiness to the party

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