Tortellini Pasta Salad
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You all know my love for pasta. I can pretty much eat it any time and anywhere. The only time I have trouble eating it is when it’s hot outside. I’m not talking like 80 degrees hot, I’m talking 95 degrees, really humid, with a heat index of 105 degrees. Then I can’t eat pasta and it makes me sad.
Oh sure, I still make pasta salad about once a week in the summer and while I love it, it’s not the same as having a good bowl of pasta for dinner. For starters it just doesn’t feel as filling. Then it has so many vegetables and an oil and vinegar dressing which just changes everything.
I know I didn’t want to have a hot bowl of pasta and I couldn’t put marinara sauce on cold pasta so I did the only thing I could think of. I used a heartier pasta instead. In this case I used cheese tortellini. I absolutely love tortellini and because it’s stuffed with cheese it’s pretty filling.
This Tortellini Pasta Salad is delicious and perfect for summer parties and gatherings. It’s also a tasty summer lunch or dinner because it has vegetables, cheese, and pasta all in one dish. The dressing is light but flavorful and it works as an entree or a side dish.
I added in cucumbers, red peppers, red onions, two types of cheese, and pepperoni but really you can add in all of your favorite vegetables and cheese to make a tortellini pasta salad that works for your family!
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper
For the pasta salad:
- 12 oz. cheese tortellini
- 1/2 cucumber finely chopped
- 1/2 red onion finely chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 1/4 c. mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 c. cheddar cheese cubed
- 1/3 c. pepperoni chopped
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions and drain. Run under cool water until the tortellini is no longer hot.
- In a large bowl combine the cucumber, red onion, and red pepper. Add in the tortellini. Pour the dressing over top and toss to coat.
- Fold in the cheese and pepperoni. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
