Caprese Tortellini Salad

This Caprese Tortellini Salad is perfect for the summer. It's filled with tortellini, tomato, basil, red onion, and mozzarella, mixed with a delicious marinade, and topped with pine nuts. Make this in less than 30 minutes for your next barbecue.

A delicious side for Grilled Stuffed Pork Chopsor a Greek Chicken Burger.

Looking for more summer salads like this one? Try ourItalian Pasta SaladorItalian Red Potato Salad (No Mayo).

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Why Pasta Salad

I love making pasta salad for big family gatherings. It's great because it's something I can make in bulk in less than 15 minutes and it can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days in advance. I love to get some of the cooking out of the way before people arrive.

Plus, it's a great salad to just have in the fridge. I love to have a cold salad on hand in the fridge for side dishes like this one, Chickpea Cucumber Feta Salad, orKale and Cannellini Bean Salad.

Caprese Tortellini salad is a great summer recipe too, because I can pick the tomatoes, parsley, and basil right out of my backyard garden. I'm sure if you have a bigger garden than I do, you could pull the majority of the vegetables right out of your garden. Just let me know when you figure out how to grow a mozzarella tree!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Tortellini. Tortellini is filled with creamy ricotta but you could potentially switch tortellini out with something like rotini or macaroni. The recipe would still work. It would just be more similar to a classic pasta salad. Tortellini is more rustic and hearty, which is why we also use it in Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage.
• Tomato. I used the beefsteak tomato, but you could use a couple of roma tomatoes instead, or substitute in a red pepper if you don't have a tomato.
• Add ons. Pasta salad is great because the add-ons are limitless. Add roasted red peppers, black olives, green olives, chopped red pepper, spinach, pepperoni, salami, or provolone.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Caprese Tortellini Salad

This recipe can be completed in under 15 minutes. It's so simple. Just refrigerate before serving.

Step 1: Combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon, parmigiana, garlic, salt, and pepper by vigorously whisking together

Step 2: Boil the tortellini a minute or 2 longer than the box says. Strain, and transfer to a large bowl.

Step 3: Combine the tortellini with tomato, onion, and basil.

Step 4: Stir in the marinade until combined with the rest of the salad.

Step 5: Once the pasta has cooled for about 5 minutes, stir in the mozzarella balls.

Step 6: Top the salad with pine nuts and refrigerate to chill before serving. You can even hit it with a balsamic glaze to really finish it off.

Serve it alongside some Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighsor aBacon Blue Cheese Burger

Pro-Tips

1. DO NOT immediately combine mozzarella with tortellini or it will melt.
2. DO NOT rinse your pasta. You want to keep all that starch on the pasta so that the marinade sticks really well.
3. DO use a high-quality olive oil for the marinade. The olive oil is the flavor that defines the dish!
4. DO cook the pasta a minute or two longer than the box says so that the tortellini will be nice and soft.

Recipe FAQs

What to serve tortellini salad with?

Tortellini salad goes great with dishes you're grilling because you can make it ahead of time and pull it out when the food is ready. Serve it with Italian Ring Sausage (Chevalatta), Greek Chicken Burger, orChicken Spiedini.

Should you rinse the pasta?

Never in your life should you rinse pasta. The starch that coats the outside of the pasta will help the marinade stick to the pasta.

Can Tortellini be eaten cold?

Of course! Every pasta can be eaten cold. If you don't grab a spoonful of leftover pasta in the morning, are you really living? This dish is best served cold but I have warmed it up before, and it is equally delicious.

How long will tortellini salad last in the fridge?

3-4 days for maximum freshness. But it is best served on the first day or two so the mozzarella doesn't get dry.

What to Serve with Tortellini Salad

Since this is a side dish, there are so many options to serve this with.

• Start with burgers! Serve this with a Bacon Blue Cheeseburger, Goat Cheese Burger with Fig Jam, or aGreek Chicken Burger.
• Serve it with your favorite grilled chicken recipes like Chicken SpiediniorGrilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs.
• Serve it on the side of your favorite grilled sausage dishes like Italian Sausage and PeppersorItalian Ring Sausage.

Video Recipe

More Italian Side Dishes

• Sauteed Rapini with Garlic
• Italian Green Bean Salad
• Summer Farro Salad with Cannellini Beans
• Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan)