Greek Tortellini Salad

I love taking pasta salad to a new level of delicious just by using tortellini instead of classic pasta! These little cheese packed pasta pockets hold so much extra cheesy flavor that adds such a tasty element to the salad as a whole. After all, you can never go wrong with four cheese tortellini, right?! With that being said, feel free to use other flavors of tortellini in this versatile recipe if you’d like!

This tortellini salad is all about showcasing bold Greek flavors from veggies, cheese, and the mouthwatering homemade dressing. The beauty of this flavor is the combination of sour, savory, and tangy notes paired with tender bites of pasta and fresh, crisp vegetables. It truly is a perfect summer dish that will compliment grilled meats at barbecues as much as cold sandwiches at picnics. It’s also a lovely light lunch on a warm day.

You can make this salad the day before and let all those beautiful ingredients marinate together to infuse pasta with so much flavor, every bite will pop! Scroll down to my FAQ section below to get more info on that easy process. I’ve found that making this pasta salad the day before I plan on serving it simplifies the already easy process even more. And during the heat of summertime, isn’t an easy pasta salad recipe exactly what we all need?

Tortellini – You can find tortellini in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. It’s fast and easy to cook, but make sure to cool it down to room temperature before adding other ingredients. For this tortellini salad, choose four cheese tortellini when possible. 

Onion – Choose red onions and slice then very thinly to incorporate them better into the salad. 

Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes can be cut in half or left whole. I recommend cutting them in half because the tomato juice adds more flavor to the salad and mixes better with the dressing. 

Cucumber – Peel the cucumber or leave the skin on. If choosing to leave the skin on, make sure to wash it well. 

Red Bell Pepper – Take the seeds out and slice bell pepper thinly. You can also substitute yellow or orange bell peppers, those tend to be sweeter than green. 

Banana Peppers – I love the tang that banana peppers add to this pasta salad so I highly recommend using them! Drain them well before adding to the salad. 

Black Olives – Choose pitted black olives and you can leave it whole or cut in half. 

Feta Cheese – Feta is the best cheese for most Greek-inspired dishes. It’s light, crumbly, and tangy, which goes perfectly with all other ingredients. 

Greek Dressing – This homemade dressing will only take a couple of minutes to put together with simple ingredients like fresh lemon juice, garlic, herbs, oil, and white wine vinegar. It’s best to use fresh herbs but dried herbs can be substituted. 

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Cook the tortellini – Cooking tortellini will take about 3-5 minutes in boiling water. Strain off water and make sure to cool tortellini down to room temperature before adding all other ingredients. 

Prepare the veggies – Slice and cut the vegetables into small pieces and add it to a large mixing bowl with the cooled tortellini (1).

Make the dressing – Combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, pressed garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper together in a jar with a lid. Close the lid tight and shake it very well. 

Toss the salad – Pour the dressing all over the the salad and mix well (2). If some of the tortellini is stuck together, it should come apart once mixed with the dressing (3). You can gently pull it apart once it’s mixed as well. 

Make Ahead Suggestions

I actually highly encourage making this salad ahead of time! Making Greek tortellini salad ahead of time will actually give all ingredients time to marinate together and infuse pasta with delicious flavors.

Prepare tortellini salad according to the recipe and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can make it up to 1 day ahead of time for the freshest results. Make sure to stir it well before refrigerator and before serving to that the dressing is spread evenly throughout.

Leftover tortellini salad can be stored in a closed container, in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days.

More Easy Greek Recipes We Love

Greek Salmon Salad

Chicken Salad

Greek Chicken Marinade

Greek Tuna Pita

PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE leave a 🌟 star rating! Let me know how you liked it by leaving the 📝 comment below or share and tag me on social media @willcookforsmiles. DON’T FORGET to subscribe to my newsletter!