Tortellini Pasta Salad is my favorite summer salad. It is full of mini, cooked tortellini, fresh broccoli, ripe tomatoes, artichoke hearts and fresh parmesan. Toss everything with Good Seasons Italian salad dressing, with a little mayonnaise mixed in. It is the perfect side dish for any meal, any time of the year.
When asked to take a pasta salad to a shower, a church party or event, this is the salad I make. It is a crowd pleaser and I never have any left overs.
How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad
1. Buy two packages of small, frozen tortellinis. Maria's Homestyle Tortellini is my favorite pasta for this salad. I find it at Macey's grocery store. The small tortellinis are perfect bite sized pieces for this salad.
2. Boil the tortellinis in four quarts of water. Follow the instructions on the package. Usually it only takes 3-5 minutes, at a rolling bowl, for pasta to cook. Once cooked, drain and cool.
3. While the pasta is cooking, cut up the tomatoes, broccoli and artichoke hearts into small pieces.
4. For the tomatoes, I cut the tops and bottoms off. Then I slice through the thick part of the tomato. I can usually get about 5 slices. Stack the slices and cut across the top of the stack. Once you have strips of tomatoes, then turn a quarter turn and cut the other direction to get small cubes of tomatoes. If you cut the tomatoes on a cutting board, just turn the board a quarter turn.
5. When I buy broccoli, I usually buy the big bag at Costco or I buy the crowns. I use a sharp small knife to cut off the stem from the florets as close as possible. Then I break off small pieces of the florets. I continue to do this until I have 3 cups of broccoli.
6. The artichoke hearts I buy, are in the two pack at Costco. Each bottle is 33 ounces. I drain the oil and water and use it when I make the dressing. Cut the hearts lengthwise in half and then turn a quarter turn and cut across for smaller pieces. The recipe calls for 2 cups of artichoke hearts, but it is more like 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 if you use all the artichokes in the bottle I buy. I love artichokes, so this is not a hardship for me! If you buy another brand, 2 cups is plenty. No need to buy more unless you want to.
7. Grate the parmesan or buy grated cheese. I like to grate my own. It seems so moist and fresh when I buy a brick of parmesan instead of already grated cheese. But you do you! Whatever works for you works for me!
8. The salad dressing is one package of Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing. I skim the oil off the top of the drained juices from the artichokes. Use this in place of the oil when making the dressing. If you do not have oil in your artichoke hearts, follow the instructions on the Good Season package. Mix 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to this salad dressing and mix well.
9. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and then pour the dressing over everything. Toss well and serve. I often cannot wait for everything to chill so I eat immediately. Making this salad ahead of time and chilling it, helps all the flavors marry each other and creates a fabulous pasta salad.
If you are a red onion lover, this is a great addition as well. I have some onion haters, as members of my family, so I never add them.
Let me know on Instagram or Pinterest if you make this.
Post a picture and tag me @dinasdiner. I want to know how it turns out.
Tortellini Pasta Salad
10 - 12 Cups Frozen Tortellini Pasta
2 C. Tomatoes
3 C. Broccoli
2 C. Artichoke Hearts
1 C. Parmesan
1 Pkg. Good Season's Italian Dressing
1/4 C. Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Water
1/2 C. Oil
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1. Cook the tortellinis according to package instructions. Drain and cool.
2. Chop the tomatoes, broccoli and artichokes into small pieces.
3. Grate the fresh parmesan cheese or use already shredded cheese.
4. Make salad dressing according to the directions on package.
5. Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise to this and mix well.
6. Put pasta, tomatoes, broccoli, artichoke hearts and parmesan in a large bowl. Mix gently.
7. Pour salad dressing on top and mix well.
8. Chill overnight or dig right in!