Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable Version)
Tender cheese tortellini with crisp vegetables in zesty Italian dressing
# What You 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
# How To Make It:
01 - Boil tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and cool pasta. Transfer to a large bowl.
02 - While pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and slice the black olives. Cut mozzarella balls in half. Place all prepared vegetables and mozzarella in the serving bowl with cooled tortellini.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Sprinkle grated Parmesan over top and toss lightly once more. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The pasta absorbs the dressing beautifully as it sits, making leftovers even better the next day
- Everything can be prepped ahead and tossed together at the last minute
- It travels perfectly and never gets soggy like other pasta salads
02 -
- Letting the salad sit for 15 minutes before serving allows the tortellini to absorb the dressing and flavors to meld
- Do not add the dressing until you are ready to serve, or the pasta will become mushy if it sits too long
03 -
- Cut all your vegetables into similar sized pieces so every forkful has a perfect ratio of ingredients
- Save a handful of basil leaves to scatter on top just before serving for a restaurant-worthy presentation