Simply Lebanese

Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad
  • Prep Time
    10 mins
  • Cook Time
    10 mins
  • Serving
    4
  • Ready In
    20 mins
Light and fresh, this tortellini pasta salad is the perfect summer dish. Tossed with a pesto vinaigrette, it is a total crowd pleaser!
Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad
Pasta salads are the perfect summer dish, and this tortellini pasta salad with a pesto vinaigrette is no exception. I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July! I made a luscious cherry and blueberry pie which is another recipe for another day. However, this colorful and tasty salad also made an appearance. I was going through my kitchen looking for the perfect side dish to make alongside the BBQ, when I came across a bag of spinach and cheese tortellini. Right away, this pasta salad came to mind.

I have made this quite a few times, using whatever fresh vegetables I happen to have on hand at the time. This time I used English cucumber, black olives, arugula, roasted red peppers, avocado, and mozzarella pearls. Some other wonderful ingredients that work so well in this salad are red onion, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, Kalamata olives and feta cheese (in place of mozzarella.)

The pesto vinaigrette is such a nice alternative from the typical mayo-based dressings in pasta salads. I used my homemade basil pesto, but store bought pesto works just as well if you’re short on time. I have tried both spinach and cheese and three cheese tortellini pasta and each is equally wonderful in this recipe. This salad makes the perfect filling side dish or a light lunch. It tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to combine. Just ask my husband who couldn’t say yes fast enough when I asked him if he wanted the leftovers for lunch the next day.

STEP 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the tortellini. Cook according to package directions. Mine took about 10 to 11 minutes.

STEP 2

Drain the cooked pasta and combine in a large bowl with the washed arugula and mozzarella pearls.

STEP 3

Roughly chop a large avocado, English cucumber, black olives and a whole roasted red pepper and add to the bowl with the tortellini.

STEP 4

In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

STEP 5

Pour the pesto vinaigrette over the tortellini mixture and mix to combine.

Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Serve immediately or refrigerate it covered for a couple of days.

Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Summer Tortellini Pasta Salad

Light and fresh, this tortellini pasta salad is the perfect summer dish. Tossed with a pesto vinaigrette, it is a total crowd pleaser!
No ratings yet
Print Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 447kcal
Author: Iman

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Tortellini Pasta Dry
  • 2 cups Arugula
  • 1 cup Cucumber Chopped
  • 1 whole Roasted Red Peppers
  • 1 whole Avocado
  • 1 cup Black Olives Sliced
  • ½ cup Mozzarella Pearls

Pesto Vinaigrette

  • 2 tb. Basil Pesto
  • 2 tb. Olive Oil
  • 1 tb. Red Wine Vinegar
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • ¼ tsp. Black Pepper

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the tortellini. Cook according to package directions. (Mine took 10-11 minutes.)
  • Drain the cooked pasta and combine in a large bowl with the washed arugula and mozzarella pearls.
  • Roughly chop a large avocado, English cucumber, black olives and a whole roasted red pepper and add to the bowl with the tortellini. 
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. 
  • Pour the pesto vinaigrette over the tortellini mixture and mix to combine. 
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate it covered for a couple of days. 

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.7g | Protein: 12.3g | Fat: 30.2g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.5g | Cholesterol: 45.2mg | Sodium: 1102.7mg | Potassium: 243.8mg | Fiber: 7.7g | Sugar: 2.3g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 16.4mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 1.1mg
    Iman

    Owner

    Additional Recipes!

    Leave a Review

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating