This delicious 6-ingredient summer tortellini salad is super easy and ready to enjoy in 20 minutes! A great option for potlucks, backyard BBQs, or as a light summer meal.
Pasta salad is a summertime staple. Cheese tortellini is the pasta base for this delicious summer pasta salad… what could be better?
I’ve made this recipe for years and years. I started making this vegetarian pasta salad with tortellini in college for tailgates with friends, and just continued to enjoy it summer after summer! This easy side dish recipe is great as written but is also totally customizable to your taste. See the ‘Recipe Variations and Substitutions’ section below for ways to modify.
Tortellini salad can be prepped the day before your event, saving you time on a busy day! I often think it tastes best the day after I make it (chef’s secret).
If you’ve been looking for easy side dishes to prepare for your family and friends, this is it! In addition to being a great side dish, tortellini pasta salad is also a fantastic vegetarian main dish. A must add to your summer menu!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in 20 minutes! This summer tortellini salad is quick and easy to make! Cook your pasta, prep your veggies, mix, and enjoy!
Option to make ahead. This tortellini salad recipe can be made 24-hours in advance, making prep for parties or get togethers easy-peasy!
Great for parties and tailgates. This zesty Italian pasta salad with tortellini is a great addition to any party spread! An excellent side for grilled foods, and also doubles as a nice vegetarian main if desired.
Ingredients Needed
Cheese Tortellini – Use your favorite refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini. Using a tortellini you love already ensures the base of your salad will be great!
Asparagus – Blanching fresh asparagus adds a nice pop of freshness to your summer tortellini salad. Using the thin, in-season asparagus is ideal for this summer side dish.
Cherry Tomatoes – Another pop of freshness to balance out the cheesy pasta. A great use of your garden tomatoes towards the end of summer, or pick up a pint at your local farmers market!
Black Olives – Salty and brine-y, black olives add great pops of flavor to this pasta salad.
Spinach – Using another summertime veggie, fresh spinach, to add nice texture and more nutrition to this salad.
Italian Dressing – Italian dressing is what adds that huge pop of flavor to your summer tortellini pasta salad! You can use any Italian dressing that you enjoy.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Add a protein. Salami, pepperoni, or pieces of grilled or shredded chicken would all be wonderful additions to this summer tortellini salad.
- Add more cheese. Cut up pieces of fresh mozzarella or the pre-made fresh mozzarella ‘pearls’ are both great additions to this tortellini pasta salad. A heavy sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese would be another great choice.
- Swap arugula for the spinach. If you’d like to add more of a punch, arugula is a bold and peppery green that can be used in place of the spinach.
- Try different vegetables (or add in some more): Bell peppers, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and cucumbers are all popular additions to tortellini pasta salad with Italian dressing. I’ve also used artichoke hearts in this recipe and it was delightful. Customize your salad to your liking!
- Add fresh herbs: Fresh basil or parsley would be excellent in this summer pasta salad.
- Make your own dressing: If you’d prefer homemade dressing, make your own! The dressing used on this Mediterranean Pasta Salad would be a great option.
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Cook pasta. Cook your cheese tortellini according to the package directions. Rinse the pasta with cold water and place it in a large bowl. If you’re still chopping the other ingredients, place the bowl of pasta in the fridge to stay cool.
STEP 2: Chop the veggies. While the pasta is cooking, chop tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, and black olives (if you didn’t purchase pre-sliced olives). Set aside.
STEP 3: Blanch the asparagus. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Then place chopped asparagus into the boiling water until fork tender (1-2 minutes; 1min for thinner asparagus and 2min for thicker asparagus). Immediately rinse with cool water, and place asparagus with cold water and ice back into the saucepan to halt the cooking.
STEP 4: Mix ingredients together. Place all of the ingredients into the large bowl with the pasta, stir to evenly coat the pasta and veggies.
STEP 5: Chill until ready to serve. If you’re not enjoying your pasta salad right away, place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
TIME SAVING TIP: Save time by chopping your ingredients and blanching your asparagus while the pasta cooks.
How to Serve Summer Tortellini Salad
This easy pasta salad recipe is a great summer side salad for a variety of dishes. It can also be enjoyed as a main dish. A few serving ideas include:
- Serve with your favorite grilled proteins. Grilled beer brats, chicken, fish, burgers, or hot dogs are all a great main to serve with summer tortellini salad.
- Bring along to a potluck or include as one of the sides for a BBQ.
- Bring this vegetarian pasta salad with tortellini along as a side dish for a picnic.
- Enjoy as a light lunch or summer dinner as-is!
Possible Dietary Restrictions?
This pasta salad recipe is vegetarian as written. One quick swap can make this into a gluten free pasta salad too:
- Selecting a gluten free cheese tortellini will make this into a gluten free pasta salad. If you are serving this tortellini salad to someone with celiac disease, it would also be wise to ensure the Italian dressing you pick is gluten free.
Expert Tips
Cook your pasta to al dente. Since pasta absorbs liquid, cooking it to just al dente will prevent your pasta salad from becoming too soft! Overcooked pasta has the risk of turning to mush after being coated with dressing and mix-ins and sitting in the fridge to cool (or on the potluck table to serve).
Storage
Store leftover summer tortellini salad covered or in an air-tight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
Helpful Equipment
Kitchen shears making ribboning spinach super easy! This is a great alternative to chopping.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover tortellini salad covered or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If concerned, review the appearance and give the salad a smell test before eating it. If you have any doubts, dispose of the salad.
Cook your pasta to al dente. Since pasta absorbs liquid, cooking it to just al dente will prevent your pasta salad from becoming too soft! Overcooked pasta has the risk of turning to mush after being coated with dressing and mix-ins and sitting in the fridge to cool (or on the potluck table to serve).
If using pasta for a cold pasta salad, it is ok to rinse the pasta in cold water. Doing so stops the cooking process and rinses the starchy coating off. This helps to prevent the pasta from becoming gummy and clumping together in your pasta salad.
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📖 Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 20oz package, cheese tortellini
- 1 pound asparagus, snapped and cut into 1" pieces
- 1-2 C fresh spinach, stems removed and leaves ribboned
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 3.8oz can, sliced black olives, drained
- 8 oz Italian dressing
Instructions
- Cook your cheese tortellini according to the package directions. Rinse the pasta with cold water and place it in a large bowl. If you're still chopping the other ingredients, place the bowl of pasta in the fridge to stay cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, chop tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, and black olives (if you didn’t purchase pre-sliced olives). Set aside.
- Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place chopped asparagus into the boiling water until fork tender (1-2 minutes; 1min for thinner asparagus and 2min for thicker asparagus). Immediately rinse with cool water, and place asparagus with cold water and ice back into the saucepan to halt the cooking.
- Place all of the ingredients into the large bowl with the pasta, stir to evenly coat the pasta and veggies.
- If not enjoying right away, place the pasta salad into the fridge until ready to serve.
- Store leftover pasta salad in the fridge. Enjoy within 2-3 days.
Notes
- Add a protein. Try salami, pepperoni, or pieces of grilled or shredded chicken.
- Add more cheese. Cut up pieces of fresh mozzarella, pre-made fresh mozzarella ‘pearls’, or shredded parmesan are great additions.
- Add in or try different vegetables: bell peppers, pepperoncini peppers, red onion, and cucumbers are all popular additions to tortellini pasta salad with Italian dressing. Customize your salad to your liking!
- Add fresh herbs: fresh basil or parsley would be excellent in this summer pasta salad.
- Make your own dressing: if you’d prefer homemade dressing, make your own! The dressing used on this Mediterranean Pasta Salad would be a great option.
Vivienne says
Love the cheese tortellini variation…I have made pasta salad forever but the cheesy tortellini is a whole new dimension. I add fresh basil! Vivienne
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad you gave the tortellini version a try! Thanks so much for making my recipe.
Martha says
One of my favorites! Great on hot summer evenings!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad you love this recipe too! And totally agree, so nice on a hot day. Enjoy 🙂
Kate P. says
This is a nice, fresh pairing to something like grilled chicken. I like to ribbon in Basil into this dish for an extra pop of flavor.
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad you enjoy it, and basil is always a nice add too! Thanks for making my recipe 🙂