It’s so simple and so delicious, which means you can’t go wrong with it. This salad is also easy to customize and is great for any BBQ along with potato salad and baked beans!
Tortellini salad with spinach + MORE
Our family is constantly looking for yummy salads that we can add to our meals. Today, I’m sharing one of my personal favorites. This tortellini pasta salad is especially perfect for summer barbecues and potlucks because it is PACKED with amazing flavor, yet the ingredients are so simple. In addition to the tortellini, this recipe calls for chopped spinach, olives, parmesan cheese, and cherry tomatoes. It’s all topped off with some Italian dressing—the perfect compliment to these fresh ingredients—and served cold. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
how to make spinach tortellini salad
TORTELLINI. Start by cooking your tortellini according to the instructions on the package. Once it’s cooked, rinse with cold water and drain. If the cold water doesn’t completely cool the pasta down, you can stick it in the fridge until it’s cold enough to mix with the other ingredients. MIX. Add the remaining ingredients (spinach, tomatoes, olives, cheese, and whatever else you decide to include), and toss with the dressing. CHILL. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve or chill for at least one hour.
Additional ingredients:
We love the flavors of this recipe as it is, but like to change it up occasionally by adding:
mini pepperonis Feta cheese (instead of Parmesan) cucumbers peppers or pepperoncinis Greek dressing (instead of Italian)
If we go the Greek route, we often add fresh basil too. Completely changes the flavor but still so good! Can I use fresh spinach? Yes! Of course. The equivalent will be about a cup (or one large handful) of fresh spinach. Make sure you chop it up extra fine before mixing it with all the other ingredients.
How to Make Ahead + Store
Can it be made ahead of time? You can combine the tortellini, spinach, cheese, tomatoes, olives, and any other ingredients you’re including up to a day before you plan on serving. Make sure you don’t add the dressing until right before serving to ensure the ingredients don’t get soggy. How to store leftovers? To store leftovers, cover the dish with plastic wrap or put the leftover salad in an airtight container. Keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The veggies may get soggy sooner than that, so try to use up quickly. Can you freeze this salad? This specific tortellini salad should not be frozen. Some of the ingredients, like tomatoes, do not freeze well and when thawed out they become very watery and mushy. What goes with tortellini salad? We love to serve this side dish with…
Oven Baked Drumsticks Steak Pulled Pork Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
For more pasta salad recipes, check out:
Easy Classic Pasta Salad Bowtie Pasta Salad Asian Pasta Salad Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad Greek Pasta Salad BLT Pasta Salad Tuscan Pasta Salad
Adapted from: allrecipes.com
