Homemade pasta salad is one of my favorite side dishes. This Tortellini Pasta Salad is a fun twist on traditional pasta salad because of the fresh vegetables, feta cheese, cheese filled tortellini and a homemade dressing that is so full of flavor.
We love eating this delicious pasta salad all summer long, especially when we are grilling.
I love how easy this pasta salad is to make and it’s even better if you make it ahead of time so the tortellini and vegetables have time to soak up and that amazing dressing!
How to make the best pasta salad:
Traditional pasta salad uses rotini pasta, but this recipe uses cheese tortellini which adds amazing flavor!
Step 1: Start by cooking tortellini according to the directions on the package and then drain and rinse it in cold water, then place in a large bowl.
Step 2: Next, fold in the diced peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese.
Step 3: To make the homemade vinaigrette dressing, simply whisk together some olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, pepper and sugar then pour on top of the pasta and vegetables.
Step 4: Gently fold everything together, being sure to not crush or tear the tortellini, until well combined.
Step 5: Cover the pasta salad with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerate until serving.
Tips to make the perfect pasta salad:
- Don’t overcook your pasta. Overcooking your pasta will make it soggy, and then as it soaks up the dressing it will continue to soften. Cook your pasta al dente and then immediately rinse it in cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Cut your vegetables small. No one likes taking a bite of pasta salad and getting all raw onion! Cutting your vegetables small ensures that you get a little bit of every flavor in every bite. It also helps disguise veggies from picky eaters.
- Cool your pasta. Make sure to let your pasta cool before mixing it in with the other ingredients, especially cheese to avoid melting. I typically place my pasta in a strainer and let cold water run over it for a few minutes until it is cold to the touch.
- Let your salad rest. Give your pasta salad time to sit in the fridge so it can soak in all the flavors. I like to make my pasta salad the morning of the day I am serving it so it can sit in the fridge for a few hours.
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The best pasta salad recipes:
- Mom’s Traditional Pasta Salad
- The Best Homemade Pasta Salad
- The Best Creamy Pasta Salad
- Spaghetti Pasta Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
Six Sisters
Serves: 6-8
Tortellini Pasta Salad is full of fresh vegetables, cheesy tortellini, feta cheese crumbles and a zesty homemade vinaigrette dressing.
20 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
30 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 orange bell pepper (diced)
- 1 yellow bell pepper (diced)
- ½ red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 cucumber (diced)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ½ cup sliced olives
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts
- 1 (4 ounce) pkg. feta cheese crumbles
- 1 (19 ounce) package cheese tortellini
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and cook the tortellini according to the directions on the package. Once it is done cooking, drain and pour into a large bowl.
- Fold in peppers, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and feta cheese.
- Whisk together salad dressing ingredients and pour over salad.
- Toss salad until dressing is evenly distributed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
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We love serving pasta salad at potlucks and barbecues, and this Spaghetti Pasta Salad is one of our absolute favorites:
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