Tortellini Salad Italian Dressing (Printable)
Tender cheese tortellini meets crisp vegetables and fresh mozzarella in a zesty Italian dressing.
# What You'll 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 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Dressing
10 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1 clove garlic, minced
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
# How To Make:
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 - Halve cherry tomatoes. Dice cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces. Dice red bell pepper. Thinly slice red onion. Slice black olives. Halve the mozzarella balls. Combine all vegetables, olives, and mozzarella in the 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 up to 2 hours before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pasta absorbs that zesty dressing while staying perfectly tender
- Its one of those rare dishes that actually tastes better after sitting out
02 -
- The pasta continues to soak up dressing as it sits, so make a little extra if you're planning to refrigerate it
- This salad is best served within 2 hours, otherwise the vegetables start to lose their crunch
03 -
- Cook the tortellini just until al dente, it will continue softening in the salad
- Pat your mozzarella balls dry before adding to prevent watery dressing