Tortellini Pasta Salad

Tortellini is a stuffed pasta that is used in many Italian dishes. It is mainly known for being stuffed with cheese but you can also stuff them with meats as well. I whipped up a quick and delicious chilled pasta salad that uses pre-stuffed tortellini bites as the base. I then added 3 different cheeses, an array of fresh vegetables and olives, as well as a homemade dressing. Allowing this pasta salad to refrigerate for two hours before serving was very important because it allowed the tortellini to soak up some of that dressing for a tasty and flavorful salad!

Add whatever ingredients you'd like to this salad! But pay attention to the mix of textures and flavors when you do so! You want everything to compliment each other.

I made sure to add key ingredients from each of these important categories for a pasta salad: fresh vegetables, pickled items, and of course, a lot of cheese!

This pasta salad is a perfect dish to bring to a potluck with friends or as a lovely side dish in a family meal! It hits all the flavors of your palette and is extremely refreshing! You get the crunch of the onion and bell peppers, and the smoothness of the mozzarella cheese and tortellini. It's a win-win for everyone at the dinner table!

I wanted to keep this homemade dressing simple, yet flavorful enough to complete this pasta salad. I also didn't want to overpower all of the other beautiful ingredients in the dish so I had an olive oil base that was seasoned with spices like oregano, parsley, red pepper, and a few others. You guys are really going to enjoy this versatile and delicious recipe!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 People

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (9 oz.) Packages of 5 Cheese Tortellini Pasta (found at Aldi)

• 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half

• 1/2 of Yellow Bell Pepper, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup Red Onion, finely chopped

• 6 Fresh Basil Leaves, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

• 1/4 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese

• 1 Fresh Mozzarella Ball, cut into 1" cubes (about 2 cups worth)

• 1/3 cup Turkey Pepperoni, cut into fourths

• 1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, pitted

• 1/2 cup Manzanilla Green Olives with Pimento

• 1/3 cup Pepperoncinis, sliced

For the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil

• 2 Cloves of Garlic, minced

• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano

• 1 tsp. Dried Parsley Flakes

• 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

• Salt and Pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large pot, cook both packages of pasta according to the directions on the label.

2. Rinse the boiled pasta in cold water.

3. Add the pasta to a large bowl.

4. Add in the remaining ingredients for the salad.

5. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the dressing together.

6. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad.

7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

8. Serve and Enjoy!