Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad

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Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad is a simple pasta salad with elevated ingredients to create a delicious pasta salad recipe!

Giant tortellini is covered in tangy sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette, and roasted red peppers. It’s a simple delicious summertime pasta salad that is great any night of the week. You could even add a grilled protein such as Easy Meal Prep Grilled Chicken and have an all in one meal!

Pasta Salad. Have you ever met one you didn’t like?! There are hundreds of thousands of pasta salad recipes on Pinterest, and here is one more to add! This one combines cheese filled tortellini and large, ribbed macaroni noodles with an acidic Italian vinaigrette and a secret on how to flavor your noodles well.

Let’s chat about pasta salad…

It’s basically cooked pasta with “stuff.” It can be served hot or cold, it’s perfect for picnics an entertaining.

The possibilities are endless, and here are a few great combos to try!

• Rotini + Cut Veggies + Italian Dressing
• Macaroni + Coleslaw Dressing + Shredded Carrots & Onions
• Rotini + Sliced Cherry Tomatoes + Mozzarella Balls + Pesto

Just open up Pinterest and search “pasta salad!” You won’t be disappointed.

I’m obsessed with these Italian flavors: sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and capers.

You’ll find those three ingredients in LOTS of my recipes. 

• Italian Pimento Cheese
• Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Dip
• Italian Cheesy Bread

This flavor combo hits all the umami flavor you want in a dish: salt, acid, brine, and tang. Paired with delicious Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic vinegar, this is a dressing you won’t forget. 

Here’s my big secret for this pasta salad…

Having too much dressing in this recipe is a no-no. You don’t want it dripping onto your shirt with each bite…

That’s not going to happen with this method I’m sharing with you.

Once your pasta is drained, pour into a bowl and immediately add the dressing, tossing over and over to coat each noodle. The hot noodles will absorb the dressing quickly and retain the flavor better than if it’s cold. Also, do NOT rinse your pasta. You want the extra starch to help thicken the vinaigrette and help is stick to the noodles. 

Then, you can add all your other ingredients into the bowl and toss about. Serve this Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad warm or cold. You can make a few days in advance if you’re serving at a party or just need to plan ahead. Meal prep is so simple with this recipe and pairing with a grilled protein.

Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad

• Author: Sweetpea
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 10
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Category: pasta salad
• Cuisine: italian

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Description

Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad is a simple pasta salad with elevated ingredients to create a delicious pasta salad recipe!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 20 ounces of cheese tortellini
• 8 ounces of ribbed elbow macaroni (or any pasta you have on hand!)
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons drained brine-packed capers
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to packages
2. In a large bowl add peppers, tomatoes, capers, green onions, salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Once pasta is cooked, drain and immediately toss into the bowl with vinaigrette.
5. Gently toss to coat each noodle.
6. Allow cooling in the bowl, letting the noodles absorb all the vinaigrette.
7. Serve warm or cold.

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What does this pair well with?

• Red Wine & Garlic Steak
• Meal Prep Grilled Chicken
• Tuscan Lemon Chicken
• Beef Tenderloin