This Greek tortellini salad is a mix of cheese tortellini, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes and feta cheese, all tossed in a garlic and herb dressing. The perfect summer side dish or meatless main course!
I love a good pasta salad, especially in the warmer weather months. Some of my favorite salads for entertaining include orzo salad, pesto pasta salad and this fresh and colorful tortellini salad.
Pasta salad is a versatile side dish or main course that’s perfect for picnics, gatherings and potlucks. This Greek tortellini salad is a twist on the classic pasta salad and it’s totally delicious! Every time I bring it to an event it’s the first thing eaten.
How do you make tortellini salad?
This salad starts with fresh cheese tortellini, which are boiled until tender then rinsed with cold water. Rinsing the pasta helps to stop the cooking process and also prevents the noodles from sticking together. The tortellini is combined with cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion and feta cheese. A simple homemade dressing goes over the top. Toss everything together and you’ll be ready to eat!
Tips for tortellini salad
- I prefer to use fresh cheese tortellini for this recipe, but frozen tortellini will also work just fine.
- I like to use English cucumbers because they’re seedless. You can use standard cucumbers as well, just make sure you remove the seeds and peel first.
- This salad can be made up to 8 hours before you plan to serve it.
- I like to mince the red onion very finely so that you don’t get large pieces of onion in each bite.
- I typically use a combination of fresh dill and parsley in this salad. Other great herbs to use include chives and basil.
Tortellini Salad variations
You can add a variety of ingredients to your salad to make it more of a hearty meal, or just to change up the flavors a bit.
- Protein: Try adding cubed chicken, sliced salami or cooked shrimp to your salad.
- Cheese: Swap out the feta for shaved parmesan or fresh mozzarella balls.
- Veggies: You can add more veggies to the mix such as bell peppers, marinated artichoke hearts or spinach leaves.
- Nuts: Pine nuts or sliced almonds add great crunch to this salad.
Can you eat tortellini cold?
You can absolutely eat tortellini cold, so long as it’s been cooked first before it’s cooled. A cold pasta salad such as this one is a great way to enjoy tortellini.
What is the difference between tortellini and ravioli?
Tortellini and ravioli are very similar in terms of the ingredients in the pasta and filling. The difference lies in the shape. Ravioli are typically square and consist of two sheets of pasta dough with filling in between. Tortellini is a single piece of dough folded around the filling. Both of them will work equally well in this salad.
You can never have too many pasta salad recipes, and this one is a total winner. The tortellini add so much extra flavor over a traditional pasta salad. Serve this one up and watch the rave reviews come in!
More salad recipes
Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 20 ounce package cheese tortellini
- 1 1/2 cups cucumber quartered and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
- 3/4 cup kalamata olives halved
- 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped
- 1/4 cup dill chopped
For the dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cool water.
- Remove any excess water from the tortellini, then place in a large bowl with the cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, feta cheese, parsley and dill.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the tortellini mixture then toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately, or cover and chill for up to 8 hours.
Fran says
Wow! The flavors were delicious and all of the textures! Winner recipe, thanks
Libby Martinez says
After making this salad and if there is leftovers can We freeze the leftovers?
Sara says
This is not a good candidate for the freezer!
Flo says
I make this yummy pasta salad and serve it as a main course! Great for lunch the next day!
Lisa B says
I made this meal last night as part of a new effort to have “Meatless Mondays”. It was A-MAZ-ING! My pretty picky teenager ate two servings. I took the last serving for lunch. I made a few alterations just to add more veggies, I added a handful of baby spinach and omitted the parsley and dill. The dressing was absolutely delicious! This will definitely stay in our “Meatless Mondays” rotation.
Debbie Ferman says
Such a good salad! It’s a full meal and quick to make. I serve it with a crusty bread and it’s dinner! Leftovers are so good!
Jacque Hooper says
What a great pasta salad for spring and summer! Perfect for parties or a picnic! Yum!
Amy Locurto says
This Greek tortellini salad looks amazing!!!
Toni says
This recipe is SO delicious and packed with flavor! Perfect for al fresco summer dining.
lauren kelly says
This is one of my favorite summer salads to bring to parties! LOVE IT!
Natasha says
I love the idea of using tortellinis instead of plain pasta! Can’t wait to give this a try at our next BBQ
Bee says
I call this Delicious!! I know it’s a salad but I could eat this as a meal!
Beth says
Oh, this looks fabulous!! I love the colors and the flavors of this salad! I could eat this salad all summer long -YUM!
Beth Pierce says
I have always been a fan of some great Mediterranean food and this is no exception! Love the balance of the feta cheese with the olives; yum!
Katie says
Oh WOW, this is right up my alley!!! I adore Greek salads and tortellini… but it never occurred to me to put them together! Genius! I’m trying this next week for sure! 🙂
Deanne says
I love all these flavors, it reminds me of a salad my mom used to make. yum!!!!
Adriana says
What a great idea to use tortellini in a Greek salad I bet it is delicious. I need to make it soon at home. This would become a favorite I am sure.