Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad
This Mediterranean tortellini pasta salad has everything we love in a pasta salad – chewy pasta, a homemade vinaigrette dressing, crunch and color with veggies, and loads of flavorful and salty bites with olives, cheese, and salami. Tossed in a bright vinaigrette and finished with fresh basil, it’s the perfect combination of flavors for summer meals, picnics, and potlucks.
Endlessly customizable, always a crowd-pleaser!
Pasta salad season always reminds me of summers in Wisconsin as a kid, eating dinner (most likely pasta salad!) on the porch. I don’t know if I fully appreciated the pasta salad then, but I definitely do now!
For layered flavor, be sure to do these two things. One: salt your pasta water before cooking the tortellini! Two: let the pasta salad chill after tossing together for 1-2 hours before serving so the flavors can come together.
🥣 Hearty & satisfying: The cheese tortellini makes it more filling than a typical pasta salad and with the variety of proteins, veggies, and flavor enhancements this salad can stand on its own.
🌞 Perfect for summer: It’s ideal for BBQs, picnics, and warm-weather meals shared with others. Take it to potlucks, pool parties, or a backyard cookout.
🥗 Colorful & fresh: We’ve added a variety of veggies for flavor, texture, and nutrition. There are salty, acidic, sweet, crunchy, chewy flavors in each bite
🍋 Zesty homemade dressing: The dressing adds brightness and ties everything together and is made with a few pantry staples.
👨👩👧👦 Crowd-friendly: Always a hit with adults and kids alike and can work as a side or main dish.
You’ll also want to try my napa cabbage slaw, creamy cucumber salad, black bean quinoa salad, or cold sesame noodles.
Served for my daughter’s baby shower it was a huge hit.Everyone loved it!! –Melanie
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this tortellini pasta salad together: cheese tortellini, cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, olives, pepperoncini, basil, lemon, red wine vinegar, olive oil, vegetable oil, garlic, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro Tip: Don’t overcook the tortellini! Cook just until al dente and rinse with cold water immediately to stop cooking and prevent sogginess.
- Shortcuts: If you have a favorite bottled red wine vinaigrette you could use that here, but I do prefer the homemade dressing and it takes just a few minutes to prep!
- Additions: If you want to add some extra ingredients to this tortellini salad recipe, try some of these: thinly sliced red onion, green onions, Parmesan cheese, bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or artichoke hearts.
Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups (~10 servings) 1x
- Category: Side
Description
This Mediterranean tortellini pasta salad recipe has everything we love in a pasta salad – chewy pasta, homemade vinaigrette, crunch and color, and loads of flavorful and salty bites.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or use citrus zester!)
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
For the pasta salad:
- 20 oz. refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup sliced English cucumber (about half cucumber, sliced into half moons)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella pearls
- 4 oz. thick cut salami (chopped)
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives (sliced in half)
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini (chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil ribbons
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine lemon zest, red wine vinegar, olive oil, vegetable oil, grated garlic, dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Whisk until emulsified.
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions in salted water. Rinse with cold water and add to bowl with dressing. Toss with dressing.
- Prepare ingredients:
Thinly slice cucumber.
Slice tomatoes in half.
Slice olives in half.
Roughly chop pepperoncini if necessary.
Thinly slice basil. - Add cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, olives, and pepperoncini in a large bowl. Gently toss together.
- Garnish with sliced basil and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Storage: Store leftover cold pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It’s best eaten within 1-2 days.
- Ingredient notes: We recommend Kalamata olives, but you could really use any olive variety, just make sure the olives have been pitted. Castelvetranos are a milder olive and would also be fantastic. And even a basic black olive is a good option!
- Prep ahead: If you’re prepping ahead, you can mix up the dressing and store in the refrigerator if it’s more than a day in advance.
- Serve with: Grilled chicken thighs, turkey burgers, or as part of a potluck spread.
Serving Suggestions
You have some options when it comes to serving this healthy pasta salad. It’s quite filling, so you could definitely serve it all on its own for a cold summer night or take it on a picnic, or you could serve it as a side to one of these mains:
FAQs
You’ll want to toss it in the dressing (as I suggest doing in the instructions). If your dressing isn’t ready, drizzle it with olive oil and toss to coat so it won’t stick together.
Yes while it’s designed for tortellini, you could also use regular pasta. Use a shorter shape like bowties, rotini, or penne.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Served fir my daughter’s baby shower it was a huge hit.Everyone loved it!!
So glad everyone enjoyed, thanks Melanie!
Made this for a party and everyone loved it!
Yay! Thanks for letting me know, Jan
Wow! This salad was amazing, the taste was so flavorful. I was able to use cucumbers, tomatoes and basil from our garden. Will definitely be making again!
Yay! Happy to hear this and it’s always fun when you can use freshest garden ingredients!