Everyone needs to have an exceptional pasta salad recipe in their repertoire. It’s such a practical dish — easy to make, inexpensive, satisfying, and the perfect thing to take along to a potluck or picnic. The recipe below uses cheese tortellini as the base, which makes it especially filling.
With an assortment of colorful vegetables, briny Kalamata olives, and fresh basil, this salad is like a bowlful of summer. The good news is that the ingredients are available year round, so you can make this dish whenever you please. You can switch out the Parmesan cheese with feta for more of a Greek flavor.
Vegetarian Tortellini Pasta Salad
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 10-ounce package cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions.
1 12-ounce jar marinated, quartered artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup halved pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, tortellini, artichoke hearts, olives, and basil. Toss to combine.
Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
