Do you love a really amazing tortellini pasta salad? My Easy Greek Tortellini Salad recipe is the perfect dish for your next cookout. Loaded with all of your favorite Greek ingredients, this cold tortellini salad will be the perfect side dish for just about any meal.
Why This Greek Tortellini Salad Works
Whenever we have a neighborhood pot luck or an event where we bring something to share, my tortellini pasta salad is always at the top of my list. It’s incredibly simple to make, it’s loaded with fresh veggies and tender tortellini pasta, so it looks just as good as it tastes. This recipe uses refrigerated tortellini, which is a great time saver for a pasta salad recipe. Additionally, is uses a homemade lemon dill dressing which enhances the flavor of all the ingredients better than any bottled version.
Tortellini pasta salad is definitely fantastic for a potluck, cookout or BBQ. This recipe works really well as a make-ahead option, as all the ingredients can be prepped and mixed together and chilled in advance. You can dress the salad right away, and save a little extra for dressing just before serving.
I crafted this recipe from my very popular Italian Tortellini Salad, and just made a few ingredient adjustments. Here’s how it comes together:
What ingredients are needed for a Greek Tortellini Salad?
- Cheese Tortellini Pasta – I prefer to use refrigerated tortellini, as it cooks and chills the quickest. You can also use frozen or dry (shelf-stable) tortellini. Cook 1-2 minutes less than package directions.
- Kalamata olives – these have a great flavor that goes well with the Greek flavors of this salad. You could also use canned black olives if Kalamata are not available.
- Cucumber – I personally like using an English cucumber as you don’t need to peel it. The flavor and crunch is also ideal for a salad.
- Cherry or Grape tomatoes – feel free to use traditional red or you can use a mix of yellow, orange and red tomatoes. Half the tomatoes when prepping.
- Chopped artichoke hearts – these come in either a can or a jar. Often found near the olives at the grocery store.
- Red onion – great for flavor and a bit of zesty crunch. You could also use pickled red onion if you want a slightly sweeter, more mellow flavor.
- Feta cheese crumbles – feta is a mild soft cheese that is traditional in many Mediterranean dishes. You can find it with the rest of the soft cheeses in the deli or cheese section of the grocery store.
- Homemade Lemon Dill dressing – the homemade lemon dill dressing makes all the different for the flavor of this salad. Here’s what you’ll need: lemons, olive oil, fresh dill, minced garlic, dried oregano salt and pepper.
Ingredient substitutions and recommendations for tri color tortellini pasta salad:
- Protein Add-ins: you could also swap in chopped salami, or grilled shrimp, chicken or salmon. To make this pasta salad vegetarian, go with the addition of cannellini beans or chickpeas. I use thick-cut chunks of salami in my Italian Chopped Salad and my Italian Chicken Salad recipes.
- Veggie Add-In’s: fresh or roasted red peppers or marinated asparagus. If you want to swap out the red onion, I would recommend going with Pickled Red Onion which isn’t as strong, but still has some nice flavor.
- Cheese Upgrades: Instead of or in addition to, toss in mini mozzarella balls or pearls, or go with goat cheese crumbles. I use mini pearl mozzarella in my Tri Color Rotini Pasta Salad and use feta cheese crumbles in my Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad recipe.
- Dressing Alternatives: while lemon dill dressing is nearly perfect in this recipe, you could also use a Balsamic dressing or a Homemade Italian Dressing. You could also use a jarred pesto sauce, like what I use in my Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes.
What dressing is best for a Greek tortellini pasta salad?
Lemon dill dressing is ideal for a Greek tortellini salad, as the flavors go perfectly with the pasta, olives and vegetables. Made with fresh lemons, olive oil, garlic, oregano, fresh dill, salt and pepper, it comes together quickly and easily. Get the full recipe for my Lemon Olive Oil Dressing here.
I’m a big advocate of making your own salad dressing versus buying the bottled stuff. The store-bought bottled stuff is loaded with sugar and partially hydroginated soy bean oils.
Along with this delicious lemon dill dressing, my Healthy Caesar Dressing my Homemade Italian Dressing, Honey Balsamic Dressing an Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing are my go-to dressings.
How do I keep tortellini pasta from getting soggy in pasta salad?
I learned early on when making any pasta for a pasta salad, but especially tortellini, you CANNOT overcook the pasta. When you overcook the pasta, it will quickly become gummy, mushy and fall apart in your salad. I recommend undercooking the pasta the pasta slightly. For example, the package directions for this refrigerated tortellini (pictured above) says to boil for 2 minutes. I would recommend cooking for only 1 minute, then quickly removing from the water, and transfer the pasta to ice water to cool.
For frozen or dry tortellini, the cooking time will vary. I still recommend cooking only to al dente. Reduce the cook time on these pastas to 1-2 minutes less than the package directions. Remove from the boiling water promptly and immediately transfer to ice water to stop the cooking process.
Love cooking with tortellini? Check out some of my other tortellini recipes like my Chicken Tortellini Alfredo, Skillet Tortellini and Meatballs Marinara and my Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup.
Tossing the Salad together with the vegetables and dressing:
Another tip to keeping your tortellini pasta firm and tender is to only add 1/2 of the dressing when mixing together, especially if you’re making the salad in advance. The pasta will soak up the dressing, and become less firm. Add the remaining dressing and toss the salad ingredients to coat just before serving.
Can you make tortellini salad the day before?
Yes, definitely. When making this tortellini pasta salad in advance of a potluck, party or event, I recommend assembling all the ingredients, and toss together with just 1/2 of the lemon dressing. Pour the entire salad into a large resealable container and refrigerate. This salad can be made 24 hours in advance. Just before serving, pour the remaining dressing over the salad and stir together to recoat the ingredients. Add an additional sprinkle of feta cheese and a bit of fresh ground pepper.
How do I store this tortellini salad?
I recommend storing this tortellini pasta salad in a resealable container in the refrigerator with a tight fitting lid. Leftover salad will keep for up to 5 days when refrigerated. I would not recommend freezing this salad.
How do I transport this pasta salad to an event or potluck?
When taking this Greek tortellini pasta salad to an event or potluck, I recommend making and storing the salad in a resealable container. Transporting this salad with a tight-fitting lid is best. However, if you would like to serve this pasta salad in a pretty serving bowl, you can do so, but I recommend wrapping the bowl with a tight-fitting wrap-and-seal plastic wrap for safe transport. Bring a large serving spoon for guests to help themselves.
Love cooking with tortellini? Check out our Chicken Tortellini Alfredo, and Creamy Tomato & Tortellini Soup.
Tortellini Pasta Salad Q&A:
Yes, definitely! It’s a great side dish to make the day before a party or pot-luck. Because the tortellini soaks up the dressing, I would recommend reserving the dressing or making an extra batch of dressing and keeping it in a separate container. Just before serving, add the addition dressing and toss together.
Tortellini pasta salad will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Because of the Parmesan cheese and the cheese inside the tortellini, the freshness of the pasta salad isn’t as good as when it’s first made.
Many people prefer to use refrigerated cheese tortellini for a pasta salad, as it cooks quickly and holds its shape well. You can also use frozen tortellini or shelf-stable dry tortellini. I recommend cooking 1-2 minutes less than package directions so the tortellini holds its shape and doesn’t become mushy when in the salad.
Yes, frozen tortellini can be used. Cook 1-2 minutes less than package directions. This prevents the pasta from becoming soft, gummy or falling apart after being added to the salad.
For refrigerated tortellini, cook 1 minute less than package directions. For example, if directions say to boil the tortellini for 2 minutes, drop the pasta in the boiling water and take out promptly after 1 minute. Transfer the cooked pasta to ice water to stop the cooking process. For dry or frozen, cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions. The pasta should be cooked, but still firm.
Yes. Once the pasta is done cooking, I recommend submerging the cooked tortellini in a large bowl of ice water. This helps stop the cooking process, and helps keeps the pasta firm and from becoming mushy. Once cooled drain the pasta in a collander and rinse again with cold water.
What can I serve with Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad?
This pasta salad goes well with grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon and even steak and burgers. It’s ideal as a cold summer salad served alongside a savory protein. Here are some of our favorite recipes that would go well with this pasta salad:
- Italian Grilled Chicken
- Grilled Cedar Plank Salmon
- Grilled Caprese Chicken
- Grilled Steak Kabobs
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Grilled Chicken
- BBQ Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
- Grilled Balsamic Rosemary Steak
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Apple Cider Glazed Pork Chops
- Maple Glazed Air Fryer Salmon
- Grilled Boneless Chicken Thighs
Looking for other cold summer salad recipe ideas? Check these out:
- Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Quinoa Chickpea Salad
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- Italian Tortellini Salad
- Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Italian Caprese Tomato Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Zoodles Greek Salad by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
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Easy Greek Tortellini Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls These stainless steel mixing bowls are an essential cooking tool for every kitchen.
- Mini Whisk Fantastic for small batch recipes, this mini whisk is ideal for dressings, sauces and marinades.
- Citrus Juicer This hand-held citrus juicer is fantastic for fresh lime and lemon juice. Great for making cocktails!
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz. pkg.) cheese tortellini, frozen or refrigerated cooked and cooled
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Kalamata olives halved
- 1 cup chopped artichoke hearts canned or jarred
- 1 cup cucumber thickly sliced and quartered
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
Lemon Dill Dressing:
- ⅓ cup lemon juice juice of 2 lemons
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill minced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook tortellini 1 minute less than package directions. (For the refrigerated tortellini, I only cooked for 1 minute total, then immediately transferred to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.) Let cool completely, then drain and rinse.
- While the pasta cools, chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, artichokes and onion. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the feta cheese crumbles.
For the Lemon Dill Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, dill, salt and pepper.
- To the large mixing bowl of vegetables, add in the cooled tortellini and toss together with the lemon dill dressing. Make sure all ingredients are evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
Notes
Making in Advance of an event?
Nutrition
Hi Erin, your Greek Tortellini salad looks delicious! Just coming over from Karren’s Oh My Heartie Girl Wonderful Wednesday party this week (May 15, 2019) and saw your linked post. Saving and will probably make for dinner tonight ~ just need tortellinis and fresh dill. 😉
Hugs,
Barb
http://www.frenchethereal.net
looks like a great recipe! I love all the olives and feta cheese ..so fresh for sure. I have chosen this post for this week’s #OMHGWW too 🙂
We will really enjoy your greek tortellini salad,it looks so easy and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with us on Full Plate Thursday and come back real soon!
Miz Helen
I have been on a Greek Salad kick lately (thanks to reading a book that was based around the Greek Islands and all they did was eat…lol). And now you’ve inspired me to add Tortellini to it. Thanks for sharing! Now I’m hungry!
This looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it!