Bring this super-fresh tortellini salad to any picnic and watch it disappear! Loaded with a rainbow of Mediterranean ingredients and tossed in a tangy citrus balsamic dressing.
The LAST day of April is upon us, y’all. Do you realize that we are unofficially ONE MONTH out from summer?! I know summer technically doesn’t begin until June 21st, but in my family summer ALWAYS begins on Memorial Day weekend which is when we break out all the summer stops.
Grilling. Picnic food. Swimming. Summer walks. Water fights. Wait, what?
Yes, water fights do happen around here on a regular basis in the summertime. If you come over to visit me and if you were to EVER see my siblings changing into their swimsuits and gathering ammo (i.e. squirt guns and water balloons) head for the hills and fast.
Last 4th of July, those kiddos took their water fight business one step too far. Care to hear it? I guess we’re already off-track so we might as well keep going here.
So the whole extended family is over to celebrate the 4th right? I’m outside standing at the grill, sweating up a storm flipping chicken, burgers and corn on the cob and would you like to guess what those crazy kids did?
THEY AMBUSHED ME. Honest! I have nowhere to go because if I were to leave the grill and run for the house, all my meat would have burned black. So I just had to stand there and let them pelt me with water balloons and squirt gun water bullets. All the while, using my own body to shield my precious meat from the sprays of honest-to-goodness sibling betrayal.
So yes, if anyone wonders why I hate summer water fights, that’s my reason right there. My 15-year old brother Michael was undoubtedly the ring-leader of that whole traumatizing affair and I’m still planning my revenge on him. Any ideas?!
Okay, I really did not mean to make this post take 5 million years to read. Let’s just talk salad for the rest of the time now, m’kay?
How do we all feel about Mediterranean food? We’re all lovers right? I’ll take that as a YES, because nobody in their right mind could hate on food as fresh and colorful as Mediterranean-style food is.
Let’s get real here: This tortellini pasta salad has SUMMER written all over every millimeter of it.
Take a look at the checklist why dontcha’?
- Mediterranean ingredients. Artichoke hearts (gah!) black olives, avocado, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and feta. Mountains of feta because I am an official Feta Freak.
- Pasta. Cheese-filled pasta to be exact. Always a good idea.
- A citrus-y balsamic vinaigrette. No creamy, calorie-loaded dressings to take the spotlight away from the fresh Mediterranean goodness!
And that right there is all this ginormous bowl holds. Seriously so simple, but the FLAVORS, people! They kick ‘ya straight in the tastebuds and back again.
Those hamburgers you’re undeniably going to end up grilling pretty soon here need a good buddy and this salad promises to be just that. This recipe makes a HE-UGE portion of salad, but I wouldn’t suggest doing something crazy like halving the recipe. You’re gonna want it ALL.
This is just one of those salads that is undoubtedly going to grace your picnic table multiple times this summer. If not that, then most definitely your midnight-snack table. Yes, I have one of those. Doesn’t everybody?
Let us all go forth now and make salads! It’s practically summer. ♥
Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 22 oz tortellini pasta cooked according to package directions and 1/2 cup cooking water reserved
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 can 15 oz black olives, drained sliced
- 1 can 15 oz artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely diced
- 1 large sweet pepper diced
- 1 medium ripe avocado diced
- 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- DRESSING:
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine cooked tortellini pasta, cherry tomatoes, olives, artichokes, pepper, avocado, and feta cheese. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients until smooth. Pour over pasta mixture and gently stir to coat. Stir in reserved 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Season salad with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with additional feta cheese if desired.
- Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.
Joanne says
I would NOT be happy to be caught in the middle of a water fight either. But I would do whatever it takes to protect the food…especially if this salad were endangered! The whole bowl just for me = my happy place.
Sarah says
Hahaa! Yes, I was totally proud of myself for sacrificing my dryness for the food’s sake. LOL. Thanks Joanne!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Oh this salad looks just perfect, Sarah! I love the mediterranean flavors. And tortellini is such a perfect pasta to include! I love that dressing, too. Sounds so flavorful. This is definitely one salad that I would be making over and over again!
Sarah says
Thanks Gayle! And agreed! Tortellini is the BOMB. 😉
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Tortellini pasta salad is one of my favorite things on this planet. My local grocery store makes a version I can’t get enough of, something about the cold pasta, with the creamy cold cheese filling makes me go gaga! Love this version!
Sarah says
Gah, right?! I pop those cold tortellini like they’re candy!
Heather - Butter & Burlap says
This looks amazing! My stomach literally just rumbled from hunger! I love all the flavors of this dish 0 I think it will be perfect for lunch next week! Great recipe!
Sarah says
Thanks Heather! LMK if you try this salad!
Jen @ Yummy Healthy Easy says
YES!! Bring on the summer salads! I am obsessed with mediterranean flavors right now! This looks beyond amazing. Sharing all over the place!
Sarah says
Thanks for all the sharing love, Jen! You’re awesome! 🙂
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen says
Wow this is such a beautiful bowl of pasta, Sarah! How flavourful this looks!!! Pinning it for later!!
Sarah says
Thanks for the pin and for the sweet words, Olivia!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Sounds like you really got ambushed last 4th of July! But maybe it was a good thing, a nice way to cool off in the hot sun : ) This pasta salad looks delicious! Shawn is obsessed with olives, he would be one happy boy if I made this for him!
Sarah says
Haha! It did cool me down, so that was definitely a plus! LOL.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Wow this looks awesome! Tortellini pasta salad just blows regular pasta salad out of the water! Also totally love the artichoke hearts 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks Medha!!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext says
LOVE tortellini salads! This looks delicious and is packed full of some of my favourite ingredients! 😀 Adore all that crumbled feta – yummy!
Sarah says
Thank you Jess!! This salad sounds right up your alley!
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
Sounds like your last Fourth of July was a lot of fun. 🙂
I make a lot of pasta salads for my daughters lunch box fro school and this would be another great one to add to rotation. I don’t know many kids that do not like tortellini. 🙂
Sarah says
This salad is the perfect lunch! Kiddos love it. 🙂
Danielle says
I’m pretty sure I could just live off of tortellinis (like I eat them just plain, they’re sooo good!). I love the mediterranean twist on this one, such a great idea!
Sarah says
Haha! I feel the same way about tortellini, girl! It’s amazing stuff. 😉
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Yay for grilling season and picnics! Pasta salads are my favorite and this one looks perfect! I love the artichoke hearts and mediterranean flavors in this! So so good!<3
Sarah says
Thanks Kelly!!
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert says
I remember when I was a kid and my mom would buy tortellini it was a fancy night. Now every time I eat it, I have the best memories. This salad looks amazing!
Sarah says
Aww love that, Sabrina! I’m sure that you would totally love this salad, girl!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
Oh my gosh, this seriously looks SO GOOD, Sarah! I love all those Mediterranean salty flavors. Artichokes and olives are the best. And yeah… fellow feta freak here. 🙂 Need to make this!
Sarah says
Haha! It sounds like we love all the same things, Jess! So yeah, you definitely need this salad in your life. 😉
Jessica Gavin says
Tortellini Pasta salad, now that’s a genius idea! Looks delicious, bookmarking for later 🙂