Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad with Feta Cheese

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!

Is it feeling like summer where you live?  I know technically the summer season doesn’t start until June 21^st 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 cook outs and BBQ’s with friends – oh what fun!!!

When we lived in Boston the summer season was so perfect.  It was in the 70’s and 80’s with sunshine and cool breezes.  It would cool down at night so we were always around the fire pit roasting marshmallow 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 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, Tzatkiki Potato Salad, and now this Greek Sasta 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. 

You can even make it ahead and keep it chilled until you want to serve it.  And bonus - that just allows even more time for those Greek flavors to get infused into the veggies and pasta.  Can you say slaying it!?

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, slice your olives and pepperoncino (unless you’ve purchased them already sliced).  Chop some 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 zesty summer meal! 

Either way I have a feeling  you’re going to love this recipe all summer long!  Enjoy my friend!

Tortellini Salad Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad

Print

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!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

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

1. Prepare the tortellini according to package instructions and set aside (you can also purchase the pre-cooked tortellini if preferred and skip this step).
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

12

Serving Size

1 cup
Amount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 13gSaturated Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 23mgSodium 490mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 8g

More easy summer time recipes: 

Tuna Cakes with Jalapeno & Cilantro
Broccoli Salad with Grapes & Bacon
Jalapeno Cilantro Mexican Corn Salad Recipe
Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad
Mexican Quinoa Salad