The best thing to have on a hot summer day (or any day, really) is a nice cold pasta salad. This Tortellini Pasta Salad is so refreshing while still being a hearty meal option. The cheese-filled tortellini is so satisfying when combined with the lemony fresh basil pesto dressing and salty prosciutto.
While this recipe is perfect for a summer day, it can totally be enjoyed any time of year. It can also be adjusted to your personal taste preferences and this tortellini pasta salad can even be made vegetarian by just omitting the meat!
If you're looking for other refreshing cold pasta salad recipes, you should try out my Creamy Chickpea Pasta Salad, my Yogurt Orzo Pasta Salad, and my Instant Pot Pasta Salad!
Table of Contents:
🎥 Watch the video of this recipe
🥘 What you need for this recipe
Ingredients
Because most pasta salads are served in the summertime, many of these ingredients are summer focused! If you can't get access to good juicy cherry tomatoes or fresh basil, feel free to use something else, such as green onions or parsley and sun-dried tomatoes or kalamata olives!
- Cheese tortellini
- Mozzarella pearls
- Prosciutto
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Lemon juice
- Prepared pesto
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh basil
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Tortellini - Instead of a cheesy tortellini, you could use a spinach or other flavored tortellini. You could also use something like mini ravioli, another cheese-filled pasta, or hand-make fresh tortellini.
- Prosciutto - Feel free to use any cured meat or ham, such as salami, bresoala, mortadella, etc. Alternatively, you can omit the meat entirely to make this vegetarian.
- Vegan - To make this recipe vegan, find a dairy and egg-free tortellini or just use regular pasta, omit the meat, and omit the fresh mozzarella balls. Opt for or make yourself a vegan pesto!
📋 How to make Tortellini Pasta Salad
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions, or just until they float (about 1-2 minutes). Drain the tortellini and gently rinse with cold water until cool to the touch.
Step 2: Make the Dressing
In a small bowl, combine the pesto with the fresh lemon juice along with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk until fully combined and not separated. Taste and add salt as needed. The dressing should be relatively thin and liquid.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
In a large bowl, add the cooked tortellini pasta, the mozzarella cheese balls, thinly sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, and prosciutto. Pour the pesto dressing over the contents of the bowl , then gently combine until thoroughly mixed. Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Combine again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Hint: Allow the pasta salad to sit in the bowl for a few hours before serving. The pasta will absorb the flavors and become more flavorful over time.
Variations
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes to this dish to give it a little kick.
- Veggie-Forward - Feel free to add lots of other veggies as well such as artichoke hearts, black olives, red bell peppers, english cucumber, fresh sweet corn, or whatever else sounds good to you!
- Deluxe - Take this easy pasta salad to the next level by adding in extras such as feta cheese or parmesan cheese, some grilled chicken thighs, more fresh herbs, etc!
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large pot
- Large bowl
- Whisk
Storage
Store this italian pasta salad in the fridge in an airtight container for 1 week. Enjoy leftovers chilled. I do not recommend freezing.
💭 Expert Tips & Tricks
- Be careful to not overcook the tortellini. Because it is fresh pasta and not dried, it will cook faster and it will become mushy if it is overcooked. Follow package directions, but test for yourself once it floats!
- Let this pasta salad sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving for maximum flavor. (It gets better with time)
Recipe FAQs
Yes, tortellini can be eaten cold! In fact, it is delicious in a cold pasta salad during the summer months. However, you must first cook the tortellini in boiling water, THEN cool it down.
Pasta salads often don't work with pasta shapes that break apart easily. Some examples of this are farfalle (bowtie), angel hair, and other intricate pasta shapes.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Large Pot
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 9 oz Cheese tortellini
- 1 cup Mozzarella pearls drained
- 4 slices Proscuitto torn or chopped
- 1 cup Whole Cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- ¼ Red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup Pesto
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Lemon juiced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
- Cook the tortellini according to package instructions, or just until they float (about 1-2 minutes).
- Drain the tortellini and gently rinse with cold water until cool to the touch. In a small bowl, combine the pesto with the fresh lemon juice along with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk until fully combined and not separated. Taste and add salt as needed. The dressing should be relatively thin and liquid.
- In a large bowl, add the cooked tortellini pasta, the mozzarella cheese balls, thinly sliced red onions, cherry tomatoes, and prosciutto.
- Pour the pesto dressing over the contents of the bowl, then gently combine until thoroughly mixed.
- Add salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Combine again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- Be careful to not overcook the tortellini. Because it is fresh pasta and not dried, it will cook faster and it will become mushy if it is overcooked. Follow package directions, but test for yourself once it floats!
- Let this pasta salad sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving for maximum flavor. (It gets better with time)
Maggie says
So good!