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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
5 minutes
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Serves
3-4
Author Notes
Pasta salad is a summer staple in my home. With so much space to customize, you can have fun playing with different kinds of pasta, dressings, vegetables, and, of course, cheeses. Frozen tortellini is an easy swap for standard penne or farfalle. Full of rich cheese, tortellini add a decadent, creamy base to contrast the fresh, crunchy vegetables. Think of this recipe as a clean-out-the-fridge pasta salad: cucumbers, peppers, onion, tomatoes, herbs galore, anything goes. To bump it up, I like to add some fresh mozzarella and savory salami for a little antipasto moment. You can serve this at room temperature, right after mixing, or if you’d like to make it in advance, just pop it in the fridge. —Marissa Mullen
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Ingredients
- Cheesy Tortellini
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1
(14-ounce) bag of frozen cheese tortellini
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1 cup
cup bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls), halved
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3/4 cup
diced Italian hard salami
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1
Persian cucumber, diced
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1/2
small green bell pepper, diced
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1/2 cup
halved cherry tomatoes
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1/2
small red onion, diced
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1/4 cup
pitted black olives, sliced
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1/4 cup
marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
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1 tablespoon
finely chopped dill fronds
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1
finely chopped basil leaves
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Vinaigrette
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3 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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1 tablespoon
freshly squeezed lemon juice
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2 teaspoons
honey
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1 teaspoon
balsamic vinegar
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1
garlic clove, minced
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1/4 teaspoon
dried oregano
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
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Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
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Add the tortellini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, according to the package instructions, until tender. Drain and let cool.
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In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and honey into the olive oil to emulsify. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix until combined.
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In a large bowl, combine the tortellini, mozzarella, salami, cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, olives, artichokes, basil, dill, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Top with dressing, season with additional salt and pepper, and mix to combine.
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Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 20 minutes to 2 days.
Marissa Mullen is a Brooklyn-based food stylist, recipe developer, photographer and cheese lover. She is the founder of That Cheese Plate and creator of the Cheese By Numbers method. She is also the author of the best-selling cookbook, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, a step-by-step styling guide for crafting beautiful and delicious cheese plates as a form of creative expression. Featured on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Business Insider, Vox among others, Marissa is dedicated to bringing people together through creativity, food and entertainment.
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