Tortellini Pasta Salad
Mayo-based pasta salad, we love you…but today is not your day. Today it’s all about a bright basil vinaigrette that enhances the flavor of each of our dish’s components. Oh, and the main pasta that’s being featured?! Tortellini! I know, I know, it just keeps getting better.
Lot’s of flavors of the Mediterranean round out the pasta salad. Feta and kalamata olives for an awesome salinity, red onion for a little bite, spinach brings in some leafiness, and it’s topped of with one of my favorite cured meats — pepperoni! Truly an orgy of flavors and a fun take on such a staple dish.
Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
A refreshing, light & bright pasta salad that will cool you off 😉
Tried this recipe?Tag @la_faguette_ on Instagram!
Ingredients
FOR THE DRESSING
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 4 tsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp basil, chopped
- ¾ cup canola or vegetable oil
- GARLIC SALT
- black pepper
FOR THE TORTELLINI SALAD
- 20 oz pkg cheese tortellini
- 5 oz pkg feta
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup red onion, quartered & sliced paper thin
- spinach
- pepperoni, chopped
- olive oil or cooking spray
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package. Drain and rinse immediately under cold water until completely cool to halt the cooking process. Toss pasta in a little bit of olive oil or cooking spray to prevent clumping. In the meantime, build your dressing.
FOR THE DRESSING!
- In a small bowl, add red wine vinegar, dijon, honey, lemon zest, and basil. Stir with a whisk to combine.
- While continuously whisking, gradually add in the canola or veg oil.
- Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Set in fridge.
FOR THE SALAD!
- Grab your cold tortellini and place in a large bowl. Add feta, olives, and red onion.
- Pepperoni and spinach portions are up to you, depending on how Italian and how green you wanna get here. Start with less…remember you can always add more!
- Drizzle some, NOT ALL, of the dressing over the pasta salad and toss. Repeat until desired coating is achieved. Reserve some dressing and set aside.
- Taste and adjust portions/seasoning if necessary.
- Place tortellini salad in fridge and allow to cool completely, at least an hour.
- The tortellini will suck up the dressing so when ready to serve, if necessary, toss with some reserved dressing to liven it up.
- Place two pieces of pepperoni on your areolas to feel one with the tortellini salad and ENJOY.
Notes
1.) Set up your ‘mise en place.’ This means do what the recipe tells you to do to the individual ingredients, measure them out, and then place them in separate little bowls/dishes/what-have-you. When it’s time to build the recipe, you have everything measured and ready to go. It makes the entire process so much easier and more enjoyable!
2.) These ingredients need to marry, so the longer it sits, the better it’s going to taste. As with any combo of chilled/room temp ingredients (especially when adding salt), you need to let the dish rest for some time before you taste and adjust.
3.) The dressing can be made in a food processor, but here’s my FAVORITE way: In a 2-cup liquid glass measuring cup, add the first 5 dressing ingredients. Stand an immersion blender in the glass, making sure bottom of blender is resting flat. Add just enough oil to cover any holes on the bottom of the immersion blender. Give it a few pulses to combine ingredients. Then, with the immersion blender running, gradually add in your remaining canola oil, moving blender up and down to properly combine all ingredients. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper.
69.) OMG DID YOU MAKE THIS?!?
Tag @la_faguette_ on IG and hashtag it #lafaguette !
69.) OMG DID YOU MAKE THIS?!?
Tag @la_faguette_ on IG and hashtag it #lafaguette !
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Equipment:
Made this hearty salad for Sunday dinner on a hot day… so damn good! Thanks for another fantastic meal.
MY PLEASURE!!!
SO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED 🙂
So delicious. We used regular tortellini bc we couldn’t find any minis, but I had a hard time keeping my partner from finishing it in one sittimg
I’M OFTEN FOUND THINKING TO MYSELF,’I CAN’T BELIEVE I ATE THE WHOLE THING…’
SO HAPPY YOU ENJOYED!
🌈🥖💕