• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Unicorns in the Kitchen

Easy family approved recipes from our Kitchen to yours. Persian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean recipes made easy with fresh ingredients and step-by-step instructions.

  • Recipe Index
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • E-cookbooks
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • E-cookbooks
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • E-cookbooks
  • About
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
  • ×

    Home » Mediterranean recipes

    Tortellini Pasta Salad Mediterranean Style

    Published: Jul 19, 2018 · Modified: Sep 3, 2020 by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

    498 shares
    • 2
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This tortellini pasta salad with a Mediterranean twist is the perfect side dish for any potluck and is ready in only 30 minutes. Make this easy tortellini salad with just a few ingredients and in no time!

    tortellini pasta salad is a delicious side for summer parties served with lemon parsley and fresh tomatoes.

    Pasta salads are easy and quick to make. You can customize them to your liking and they're perfect for parties and potlucks. Some of our favorite pasta salads are shrimp pasta salad and caprese pasta salad. Today I'm going to show you how to make this 5-star Mediterranean style tortellini salad that's ready in no time!

    Table Of Contents:
    • About this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Serving suggestions
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More salad recipes
    • Step-by-Step Recipe

    About this recipe

    This delicious tortellini pasta salad is full of fresh and tasty summer vegetables and is perfect for potlucks and barbecue parties. I love that it's so easy and simple to put together and it has so much flavor thanks to all the delicious ingredients.

    I love bringing this tortellini salad to parties because it has a flavor combination that is new to many yet it's tasty and people would always ask for seconds and then ask me for the recipe! It's always so good to see everyone loving a dish that's inspired by the flavors that I love and admire.

    Close up shot tortellini salad

    Ingredients

    • Tortellini: You can use both dry or fresh tortellini in this pasta salad. Fresh tortellini is in the refrigerated section and dry tortellini is in the pasta section of most supermarkets. As for the flavor, I used cheese tortellini here but you can use spinach and cheese as well.
    • Vegetables: I use a combination of tomatoes, red onions, parsley and marinated vegetables such as artichokes and kalamata olives.
    • Dressing: Since all the ingredients are already very flavorful, you can go with a simple dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper.
    Ingredients to make Mediterranean tortellini salad.

    Instructions

    1. Cook the tortellini (dry or fresh) according to the packaging and let it cool completely. You can do this a day in advance.
    2. While the pasta is cooling, chop the vegetables and prepare the dressing.
    3. To the cold pasta add the chopped red onion, marinated artichokes, tomatoes, olives and chopped parsley. Combine using two large spoons.
    4. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta salad and mix well. If time permits, chill the tortellini salad in the fridge for one hour before serving.

    Variations

    You can always add more ingredients to this easy tortellini salad to make it even more exciting:

    • Feta cheese: for a little bit of saltiness and creaminess.
    • Cucumber: an instant freshness for your pasta salad.
    • Sun dried tomatoes: they always add so much flavor to any dish. Make sure to chop them up.
    • Grilled chicken or shrimp: turn your Mediterranean pasta salad into a full meal by adding some protein to it.
    Tortellini pasta salad in a bowl held by hands.

    Serving suggestions

    You can serve this Mediterranean tortellini pasta salad on its own as lunch or dinner. It would also make a wonderful side for grilled dishes such as grilled spatchcock chicken, Greek grilled chicken, shrimp kabobs, salmon kabobs or beef shish kabob.

    Frequently asked questions

    Can I make this salad ahead of time?

    Yes. You can can make this salad one day ahead of time, but my suggestion is to add the tomatoes right before serving so they don't release their juice into the salad.

    How long does pasta salad keep?

    Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

    Can I use gluten free pasta?

    Yes, you can find gluten free tortellini in supermarkets and use it instead of regular tortellini.

    More salad recipes

    • Burrata with Tomatoes and Peach
    • Turkish Smoky Eggplant Salad Recipe
    • Beet Salad Recipe With Feta And Zaatar
    • Ensalada Rusa (Russian Salad - Olivier Salad)

    Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!

    Step-by-Step Recipe

    Tortellini Pasta Salad Mediterranean Style

    Shadi HasanzadeNemati
    Ready in 30 minutes, this tortellini pasta salad with a Mediterranean twist is the perfect side dish for any potluck or a quick lunch.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Refrigeration 1 hr
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 550 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 20 oz cheese tortellini
    • 1 ½ cup kalamata olives pittled and halved
    • 14 oz artichoke hearts canned
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
    • 1 cup red onion diced
    • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese

    Vinaigrette:

    • ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin
    • 1 lemon juice of
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • ¼ tsp smoked paprika

    Instructions
     

    • Cook cheese tortellini according to the packaging. Set aside and let cool completely. (This step can be done ahead of time) 
    • In a large bowl, mix tortellini. kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, campari tomatoes and red onion. Set aside. 
    • In another bowl, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients and pour it over the tortellini pasta salad. 
    • Stir well so all the ingredients are smothered with the vinaigrette. 
    • Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. 
    • Sprinkle chopped parsley and parmesan cheese on top right before serving. 

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 550kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 19gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 1521mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1448IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 284mgIron: 4mg
    Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!
    « Classic Vanilla Milkshake [Video]
    Healthy Milkshake Recipe without Ice Cream [Video] »
    498 shares
    • 2

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Denay DeGuzman

      August 20, 2021 at 9:29 am

      5 stars
      I love tasty recipes like this for lunch and dinner. It's added to this weekend's meal plan. We look forward to trying it!

      Reply
    2. Stephanie

      August 20, 2021 at 9:09 am

      5 stars
      Yum, you had me at tortellini! And I'm glad this is parmesan cheese since I usually can't eat much Meditteranean food since I don't like feta cheese.

      Reply
    3. Andrea

      August 20, 2021 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      You took a boring pasta salad and made it awesome with the Mediterranean flavors. I can't wait to make this!

      Reply
    4. Wajeeha Nadeem

      August 20, 2021 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      This looks perfect for hot summer days...tortellini is one of my favorite pastas! 🙂

      Reply
    5. Tavo

      August 20, 2021 at 8:13 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! I loved all those Mediterranean flavors playing together!

      Reply
    6. Catherine

      July 23, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      What a beautiful summer dish. I haven't had tortellini in a while but this is such a wonderful dish for weeknights! Looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 2:55 pm

        Thanks Catherine!

        Reply
    7. Claudia Lamascolo

      July 23, 2018 at 11:47 am

      5 stars
      I love all the fresh ingredients this is looking b the photos this is a must make mouth watering recipe!

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 12:04 pm

        thank you!

        Reply
    8. Renee @ The Good Hearted Woman

      July 23, 2018 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      This looks like a delicious summer meal - full of flavor and light on effort.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 2:53 pm

        It's perfect for summer!

        Reply
    9. Linda

      July 23, 2018 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      What a truly versatile salad and it looks so tasty! This would make a nice hearty dinner salad with the heavier tortellini and I'd top it with chicken & a sprinkle of feta. I also love the addition of the artichoke and the bright flavors that a lemon dressing would add to the mix.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        Thank you Linda! I love the idea of chicken and feta!

        Reply
    10. Chris Collins

      July 23, 2018 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      I love a tortellini pasta salad and your version looks DELISH!! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        Hope you give it a try!

        Reply
    11. Vicky

      July 23, 2018 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      This looks like the perfect refreshing summer meal! I love how it takes advantage of in season veggies and is so easy to put together.

      Reply
      • Shadi HasanzadeNemati

        July 23, 2018 at 12:04 pm

        Yes! Easy and delicious!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest

    Welcome to Unicorns in the Kitchen, where we share delicious recipes from our kitchen to yours. You’re in for a delicious adventure and collection of unique and tasty recipes.

    Read more...

    Fall Dinner Ideas

    • Tomato Rice Persian Style (Dami Gojeh Farangi)
    • Easy Greek Pastitsio Recipe
    • Roasted Chicken and Vegetables Turkish Style
    • Mujadara - Lebanese Lentils and Rice with Crispy Onions

    Latest Recipes

    • Best Mother's Day Brunch Ideas
    • Ful Medames Recipe (Egyptian Fava Beans)
    • Best Blackened Salmon Recipe
    • 65+ Best Persian Recipes To Try

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • About US

    All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images or recipes without prior permission. Read about privacy policy and copyright Here. Our site contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting.

    Copyright 2019, All rights reserved.
    Read about privacy policy and copyright Here.

    498 shares