This salad swaps plain pasta for plump cheese and spinach-filled tortellini. Cucumbers and bell peppers add crunch, and artichokes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, feta, and summer sausage add big flavors and textures. This recipe makes enough to bring to a potluck and is quick and easy enough for when summer temperatures are too hot to cook—you do have to boil the pasta. Plus, it’s a great pasta salad to prepare in advance since it only gets better as it sits— fresh, bright, and zingy!
What Kind of Tortellini to Buy
I use store-bought fresh tortellini, but you could absolutely make the pasta from scratch should the inspiration strike. You’ll find fresh tortellini in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Dried ones are in the boxed pasta aisle and frozen tortellini is in the freezer section. You can use any variety, but I prefer fresh tortellini because it cooks very quickly—about 3 minutes compared to 10 minutes or more for dried. As for the filling, you’ll never go wrong with your favorite! I opted for spinach and cheese, but three-cheese or pesto would also be delicious.
Two Tips for Perfectly Cooked Tortellini
Make It Your Own
Regardless of what type of vegetables, cheese, and meat you decide to use, chop them to about the same size as the tortellini so it’s easy to get a little bit of everything into each forkful. Here are some ideas:
Swap summer sausage for pepperoni, salami, or rotisserie chicken.Make it meatless by replacing the sausage with a can of rinsed and drained canned chickpeas.Try mini mozzarella balls or shredded Italian blend cheese instead of feta.Add cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, or carrots.
Pasta Salad to the Rescue!
Green Goddess Pasta Salad Greek Pasta Salad Pesto Pasta Salad Caprese Pasta Salad Pasta and Bean Picnic Salad
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
For the salad
2 (10-ounce) packages tortellini (any kind)
1 small yellow bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
8 ounces turkey summer sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups)
6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
Leftovers can be refrigerated tightly covered for 3 to 5 days. Be sure to give it a stir before serving to redistribute the dressing. Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!
