Easy Tortellini Salad is the perfect side dish for entertaining! Made with tortellini, Italian dressing, Parmesan, cucumbers, tomatoes and more! Ideal for potlucks, holidays, and BBQs! Looking for more delicious side dishes? Makes sure to try these like these baked beans, creamed corn, and my Nana’s famous green bean recipe!

tortellini salad in white and blue bowl with text overlay

Tortellini Salad

This easy breezy tortellini salad should be gracing your table all summer long with it’s bright fresh flavors and delicious Italian dressing!

Easy pasta salads have a place at every gathering whether it’s a summer potluck, BBQ, or holiday, these easy to prepare salads are always a crowd pleaser. This particular salad is extra amazing because it is both easy to make and packed full of flavor. The perfect cold tortellini pasta salad recipe for a hot summer day.

This tortellini pasta salad is especially perfect for summer barbecues and potlucks because it is PACKED with amazing flavor, yet the ingredients are so simple.

tortellini pasta salad recipe in white bowl

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We’re big fans of pasta in any form. Here are some of our favorite pasta recipes:

  • The ULTIMATE Mac and Cheese
  • Stuffed Shells
  • Lazy Day Lasagna

    • Tortellini Salad Ingredients

    This salad has three components:

    • tortellini
    • dressing
    • fresh veggies

    Tortellini Salad Dressing

    • mayonnaise – or you can use miracle whip if you prefer or if that’s what you have on hand
    • Italian dressing – use your favorite and make sure to give it a good shake before measuring
    • freshly grated Parmesan Cheese – you can taste the difference!
    • chopped parsley – flat leaf Italian parsley is what I used
    • fresh ground black pepper

    veggies for pasta salad and all other ingredients

    For the Salad You’ll Need

    • tortellini – I used tri colored cheese tortellini but you can use any flavor you want. You’ll need 4 cups or about 16 ounces uncooked.
    • English cucumber – I like the English cucumber because I don’t need to peel it or remove seeds. If you don’t have access to English cucumbers, just peel and seed your cucumber before cutting in half lengthwise and slicing.
    • red onion – nicely diced
    • green and orange or red bell peppers – nice dice or finely chopped
    • cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – you’ll want to cut these in half or quarters depending on their size.

    How To Make Tortellini Salad

    This salad is SO easy to make. It’s really just a matter of cooking the tortellini, preparing the dressing, and combining the ingredients. Let’s take a look:

  • Boil and drain your tortellini. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip if you prefer) Italian dressing, parmesan cheese, parsley and black pepper until
  • combined.
    pasta salad dressing ingredients in bowl and poured over the tortellini
  • In a large serving bowl, combine the tortellini, cucumber, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes and gently stir in the dressing.
  • Chill for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
  • Garnish with a little parsley and Parmesan right before serving.

    • FAQs

    Can this be frozen? This salad cannot be frozen. The tortellini will get all mushy.

    Can this be made in advance? Yes! Up to 24 hours in advance.

    Can I double the recipe? Definitely! If you’ve got a big party or potluck, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

    tortellini pasta salad with creamy dressing in white and blue bowl

    Variations To Try

    • Stir in about 6 oz of fresh baby spinach for a fun variation. Tortellini salad with spinach is more filling and can be enjoyed as a light dinner.
    • Olives are a delicious addition to this tortellini pasta salad
    • Fresh mozzarella is a delicious addition to this salad
    • Sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh – tortellini salad with sun dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella is one of my favorite variations  – give it a try!
    • I made this tortellini salad with mayo but you can use your favorite mayonnaise substitute like Miracle Whip.

    More of our favorite salads:

  • The BEST Pea Salad
  • Ambrosia Salad
  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Broccoli Salad with Bacon
  • Pineapple Cucumber Salad

    • How To Make Tortellini Salad

    Tortellini Pasta Salad

    Easy Tortellini Salad is the perfect side dish for entertaining! Made with tortellini, Italian dressing, Parmesan, cucumbers, tomatoes and more! Ideal for potlucks, holidays, and BBQs!

    Course Salad Cuisine American Keyword tortellini pasta salad Prep Time 15 minutes Chill 2 hours Servings 6 Calories 414kcal Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

    Ingredients

    Tortellini Salad Dressing

    • ½ cup mayonnaise or miracle whip if you prefer
    • ½ cup Italian dressing use your favorite
    • 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
    • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

    Salad Ingredients

    • 4 cups tortellini
    • 1/2 English cucumber halved and thinly sliced
    • 1/2 red onion diced
    • 1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped
    • 1/2 orange or red bell pepper finely chopped
    • 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes halved
    • additional chopped parsley and grated Parmesan to garnish

    Instructions

    Tortellini Salad Dressing

    • In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Italian dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley and black pepper until combined. Set aside.

    • In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked tortellini and prepared vegges (cucumber, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes).

    • Fold in the dressing and gently stir to combine.

    • Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

    • Garnish with parsley and Parmesan just before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 507IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 2mg

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