Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad

5 from 5 votes

Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad

This creamy tortellini pasta salad combines cheese tortellini, crisp vegetables, mozzarella, and a fresh herb dressing with orange zest for a bright and flavorful side dish. Perfect for potlucks, summer dinners, and easy make-ahead meals.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Salad

Servings:

Calories: 326kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients

Tortellini Pasta Salad ingredients

8 ounce package refrigerated tortellini
2 cups broccoli florets cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup carrots sliced into rounds
½ cup green onions chopped
½ cup red bell pepper chopped
½ cup green bell pepper chopped
½ cup sweet peas fresh or thawed from frozen
¼ cup jalapeno pepper diced

Dressing ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsps orange zest finely grated
2 Tbsps fresh basil chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tsps fresh thyme chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tsps salt
½ tsps black pepper
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Make the pasta salad

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
8 ounce package refrigerated tortellini
Steam the broccoli and carrots just until tender-crisp. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool completely.
2 cups broccoli florets, 1 cup carrots
In a large bowl, combine the tortellini, broccoli, carrots, green onions, bell peppers, sweet peas, and jalapeño. Refrigerate while preparing the dressing.
½ cup green onions, ½ cup red bell pepper, ½ cup green bell pepper, ¼ cup jalapeno pepper, ½ cup sweet peas

Make the dressing

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, orange zest, basil, thyme, salt, and black pepper.
1 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsps orange zest, 2 Tbsps fresh basil, 2 tsps fresh thyme, 1 tsps salt, ½ tsps black pepper
Add about half of the dressing to the salad and toss gently. Taste and add more dressing as desired. If adding chicken or another protein, you will likely want to use all of the dressing.
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top before serving. For best flavor, refrigerate the salad for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
½ cup mozzarella cheese

Notes

Refrigerated cheese tortellini works best for this recipe.
Be careful not to overcook the tortellini or it may become too soft after chilling.
Steam the broccoli and carrots just until tender-crisp to keep the vegetables fresh and colorful.
Fresh basil and thyme give the dressing the best flavor, but dried herbs may be substituted if needed.
This salad tastes best after chilling for at least 4 hours. Overnight is even better.
Add grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, or tofu to turn this into a complete meal.
If the salad thickens after refrigeration, stir in a small spoonful of mayonnaise or a splash of milk before serving.

Nutrition