Our tortellini pasta salad a fresh, creamy, flavor-packed side dish that’s always a hit at cookouts, potlucks, lunches, and family dinners. It’s loaded with tender cheese tortellini, crisp vegetables, tangy feta, artichokes, and a creamy pesto dressing that ties everything together perfectly.
This pasta salad is colorful, hearty, and honestly tastes even better after it chills in the fridge for a bit. Whether you’re serving it for summer BBQs, meal prep, holidays, or a quick weeknight side dish, it’s one of those recipes everyone asks for after the first bite.
If you love easy, delicoius sides like this, be sure to check out our deviled egg pasta salad, potato salad, and many of the other tasty sides on the site!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make
- Full of fresh flavor
- Creamy pesto dressing
- Perfect make-ahead recipe
- Great for potlucks and BBQs
- Packed with veggies and cheese tortellini
- A great make ahead side
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Spinach & Cheese Tortellini: Makes the salad hearty, cheesy, and filling without needing a ton of extra ingredients.
- Pesto: Brings a huge burst of fresh, herby flavor and gives the creamy sauce that rich Italian-style taste.
- Aritchoke Hearts: Add a tangy, slightly salty flavor that makes the pasta salad taste a little more fancy and balanced.
- Asparagus: Gives the dish freshness and a little crunch, which keeps the creamy parts from feeling too heavy.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Packed with bold, concentrated tomato flavor that adds a sweet and savory punch to the whole salad.
- Feta Cheese: Adds a creamy, salty bite that really wakes up all the other flavors.
Variations
- Chicken Tortellini Pasta Salad: Add grilled or rotisserie chicken to turn this into a full meal.
- Italian Style Pasta Salad: Mix in salami, pepperoni, or mozzarella pearls.
- Spicy Tortellini Salad: Add diced jalapeños or extra red pepper flakes for heat.
- Greek-Inspired: Add cucumbers, kalamata olives, and extra feta cheese.
- Make It Lighter: Use Greek yogurt or a blend of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise.
How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad
Step 1: Parboil the bell pepper and asparagus. Drain and put in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Set aside.
Step 2: Boil the tortellini in the same pan and drain.
Step 3: Mix the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Then, mix in all the remaining ingredients except the tomatoes and feta.
Step 4: Mix in the tomates and feta cheese. Serve immediately or chilled.
Expert Tips
- Cheese tortellini cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it to avoid mushy pasta.
- Fresh basil pesto gives the dressing incredible flavor and brightness.
- Folding the feta in gently keeps it from crumbling too much.
- Letting the salad chill for at least 30 minutes helps the flavors blend together even more.
Tortellini Pasta Salad FAQs
Absolutely. Just cook the frozen tortellini according to the package directions before adding it to the salad.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing isn’t recommended. Mayonnaise-based dressings like those used in pasta salad bread whend defrosted.
More Delicious Sides You’ll Love
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Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounce spinach and cheese tortellini
- 6.5 ounce artichoke hearts, quartered
- ¾ cup asparagus, trim and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup red bell peppers, diced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ¾ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 3 ounce feta cheese
Creamy Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup pesto
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add red bell pepper and asparagus.
- Parboil/blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and put into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In the same pot, bring water to a boil over medium high heat.
- Place tortellini into the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Creamy Sauce
- In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, pesto, red onions, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Next, add tortellini, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers and asparagus to the bowl with the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add tomatoes and feta cheese. Gently stir.
- Serve immediately or place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Optional: top with additional feta before serving.
Notes
- Cheese tortellini cooks quickly, so keep an eye on it to avoid mushy pasta.
- Fresh basil pesto gives the dressing incredible flavor and brightness.
- Folding the feta in gently keeps it from crumbling too much.
- Letting the salad chill for at least 30 minutes helps the flavors blend together even more.
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