Cold Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad

This lightly dressed Italian tortellini pasta salad is fresh and bright with bursts of salty olives, cheese filled tortellini and herbs.

It was a hot day in Austin Texas. I was traveling for a business convention. A few other ladies and I decided to go off campus for lunch. We decided on a small family-owned deli near the convention center. I didn’t expect much from the looks of the place. It was an old run-down building with staleness in the air but it was the closest we could find in walking distance.

The walls were worn and had an old-style deli counter that looked original to the building. One where you take a number and wait to be called. As I stood in that crowded little delicatessen. I noticed that each patron appeared to be ordering the same dish. Tortellini pasta salad.

I am not one to order such a thing but in this instance, I decided to go with the crowd. When the man behind the counter handed the small white box to me. I thought I had made a mistake. Opening the lid, it looked plain almost boring. Small bits of olive, tortellini, and artichoke mixed in what appeared to be a very light dressing.

Its presentation was nothing spectacular. But it was the flavor that got me. Dressed in olive oil and Italian herbs. Lightly seasoned but still flavorful. This is a variation of that popular salad from a worn little deli I stumbled upon all those years ago.

Cold Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Is…

• Made with fresh ingredients and the perfect cold salad to keep on hand.
• A great main dish to serve as the perfect light lunch or a delicious side dish for a summer BBQ.
• Cheese-filled pasta tossed in a homemade zesty Italian dressing.
• An easy summer salad that you can serve chilled or at room temperature.
• A good pasta salad to serve in a big bowl. 

Ingredients

Tortellini Pasta- plain cheese tortellini makes the best pasta for pasta salad.

Lemon- fresh lemon zest and a bit of its juice give the salad a 

Artichoke Hearts- use artichokes jarred in water. 

Olives- Black salty Kalamata olives give a nice bite of saltiness to the pasta. 

Green Onions- Green onions give a mild onion flavor that is not overpowering. You can use a 1/4 of a red onion in its place. 

Olive Oil- use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Parmesan Cheese- I garnish this salad with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pecorino Romano is a nice alternative. 

Garlic- use a fresh large clove of garlic.

Dried Italian Seasoning-  I use dried Italian seasoning for this dressing as it flavors the entire pasta salad well but you can use fresh herbs if you like. Just keep in mind you will need 3x the amount of fresh herbs when swapping out dried for fresh. 

Seasoning-  I use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Himalayan salt or Kosher salt are great salt alternatives.

Directions

Begin by making the dressing. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil to a small bowl. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning. Finely chop the garlic clove and place it into the oil. Zest the lemon and add the zest to the bowl along with half the juice. Add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well and let sit while you put the pasta together. This will help the flavors in the dressing to develop.

Next, cook tortellini according to the package instructions for al dente. You want the tortellini to be firm but cooked. While the tortellini cooks, quarter the artichoke hearts.

To assemble the Italian tortellini salad, place the cooked tortellini in a large bowl. Add the olives, green onion, parmesan, and artichokes. Pour over the dressing and toss well to make sure the dressing covers the pasta.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cooking Notes

• For best results cook al dente. Overcooking will result in a mushy pasta salad that won’t keep well.
• Quarter artichokes so that they are bite-sized rather than using the whole heart.
• Save the other half of the lemon. If you find the pasta has dried out a bit in the fridge, add additional olive oil and lemon to spruce it back up.
• I like to use a blend of dried Italian herbs for this recipe. But you can use fresh if you’d like. Be sure to chop them finely when adding and note that dried herbs tend to be stronger than fresh.

FAQ

Could I use sausage and cheese tortellini for this recipe?

Yes, sausage tortellini works great for this recipe. I normally use a plain cheese style but I find the sausage to compliment the flavors in this fine. This works especially well for making the dish a complete meal as opposed to just a standard side dish.

Would avocado oil work in place of olive oil?

Yes, avocado oil has a very similar taste and would work just fine for this recipe.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Absolutely! For gatherings and pot luck I have doubled this recipe just fine and it came out perfectly.

How To Store

Store leftover cold Italian tortellini salad in an airtight container. If serving the second day or even a couple hours later after making it, it is a good idea to add a little more olive oil and even a little bit of lemon juice so the salad isn’t dry. 

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!