This Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad is full of fresh veggies and herbs, tangy homemade Greek dressing, feta cheese, and fluffy little cheese-filled tortellini!! A delicious make-ahead summer salad your family and friends will devour!
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The Best Greek Pasta Salad!
Is it feeling like summer where you live? I know technically the summer season doesn’t start until June 21st but if the kiddos are out of school and it’s warm and sunny – it’s summer in my book!
Summer has always been my favorite season! Ahh the warmth of the sunshine on my skin, all the salads with fresh tomatoes and corn from my garden, the picnics at the beach, the fun cookouts and BBQ's with friends – oh what fun!!!
When we lived in Boston the summer season was so perfect. It was in the ’70s and ’80s with sunshine and cool breezes. It would cool down at night so we were always around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. But it was always too short. Come September there usually was a chill in the air and the beaches were closed and you knew the first snow wasn’t too far off.
Because summer was on the shorter side we really went out of our way to enjoy every second of it. Yes – we definitely seized the summer!!
Now that we live in Florida it’s kind of summer every day. The pool is open all year round, we’re always grilling up something tasty with family or friends, and my garden produces yummy veggies in spring, summer, winter, and fall.
You know what they say, Florida: The Sunshine State!
And in honor of my favorite season and all things summery, I’m whipping up a tasty pasta salad! A Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad to be exact!!
If you haven’t noticed I REALLY like Greek flavors. Thus my Slow Roasted Lamb Leg (big swoon), Lamb Meatballs, my Greek Chicken Burger, Greek Shrimp Pasta, Tzatziki Potato Salad, and now this Greek Pasta Salad! Yummo!
She’s a looker don’t you think!?? All bright and colorful!
But she’s not just a pretty face – oh no - there is so much more to love about this easy cold pasta salad… the fresh ingredients, the tangy homemade Greek dressing, the feta cheese, and those fluffy little cheese-filled tortellini’s!!
It’s so hearty and filling and sooo delicious! It makes a great summer side dish to take to picnics and pool parties. Can you say slaying it!?
Storing Greek Pasta Salad
You can even make it ahead and keep it chilled until you want to serve it. And bonus - that allows even more time for those Greek flavors to infuse into the veggies and pasta.
And if you want to make it a day in advance, gently toss all the ingredients together with half of the dressing, then cover and refrigerate. When you are ready to serve the salad, toss it with the desired amount of the remaining dressing.
The reason for this is that if you use all of the dressing initially your pasta will soak up it all up and will seem dry when you serve it.
If you happen to have any leftovers cover place it in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
We’ll let’s get this show on the road as my mom would say…
How to make Tortellini Salad:
First, cook pasta following the package instructions.
Next, make your dressing. I like to put everything in a small mason jar, put the lid on it and shake it up!
Then it’s time to chop your cucumber, and slice your olives and pepperoncino (unless you’ve purchased them already sliced). Chop red onion and parsley, slice your cherry tomatoes in half, and crumble your feta cheese.
And finally, you can assemble. Gently fold all the pasta salad ingredients together including the dressing and enjoy!
You can serve it immediately, or a few hours later. The salad will get more flavorful as it soaks up the dressing.
You could even top it off with some grilled chicken (like I did) and this would be a fantastic hearty, zesty summer meal!
Either way, I have a feeling you’re going to love this recipe all summer long! Enjoy my friend!
Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
Full of fresh veggies and herbs, tangy homemade Greek dressing, feta cheese, and fluffy little cheese filled tortellini!! A delicious make ahead summer salad your family and friends will devour!
Ingredients
For The Salad:
- 12 ounces Cheese Tortellini, cooked
- 8 ounces Greek golden pepperoncini, drained then sliced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- 6 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- 1 English cucumber, thickly sliced then quartered
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup Fresh dill, chopped
For The Dressing:
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, plus 2 tablespoons
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon honey or pure maple syrup (add more to taste if desired)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the tortellini according to package instructions and set aside (you can also purchase the pre-cooked tortellini if preferred and skip this step).
- While the Tortellini is cooking, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a sealable jar and shake vigorously until well-blended and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Prepare all your salad ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Then add your pasta and dressing and fold it all together until well combined.
- Serve the pasta salad… or even better allow it to chill covered for an hour or two, to allow the flavors to marry, then toss again and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 23mgSodium 490mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 8g
Ash
Are you supposed to let the pasta cool before you mix with everything?
holly
Hi Ash, I would let pasta cool for a bit. The tortellini are pretty delicate especially when they're hot and letting them cool will keep them from breaking apart when adding them to the salad.
Rachel C.
Stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and it turned out great! Thanks for sharing!
Bryan
Thank you Rachel, so glad you liked it!! 🙂
Kate Berkey
I was looking for a salad recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
holly
Hi Kate, I'm so excited to hear that! It's so awesome when the whole family can enjoy the same thing. Thanks for the 5 star rating and for sharing your feedback!