Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
This Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad is as delicious as it is beautiful, combining irresistible tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella pearls with comforting cheese tortellini. It’s incredibly easy to make, simple to double for a crowd, and perfect any time of year. Enjoy as a side dish or light entree with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Unlike traditional Caprese salads that rely on large slices of mozzarella and tomatoes, this Caprese tortellini pasta salad recipe uses bite-sized mozzarella pearls and cherry tomatoes, so every forkful gets a little bit of everything. The baby spinach adds a subtle earthy note and extra color, while the honey in the dressing balances the tang of balsamic vinegar perfectly.
While you can serve this Caprese tortellini salad straight away, chilling it first is also an option, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully – just make sure to give it a good toss before serving to redistribute the dressing, and add a splash more olive oil if needed.
What is Caprese tortellini pasta salad?
This Caprese pasta salad combines cheese tortellini with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, and a sweet-tangy balsamic dressing for an irresistible bite. Its vibrant colors with chunky tortellini make it a rustic, crowd-pleasing dish perfect for casual summer BBQs.
The secret is using mozzarella pearls (also known as perline) which are tiny, tender balls of fresh mozzarella with a mild, sweet flavor, found in your grocery store’s deli section.
The best part? You can serve this pasta salad for lunch, dinner, or brunch. It’s always a hit that you can make all year round!
Why you’ll love Caprese tortellini salad
- It comes together in minutes with bold, fresh flavor in every bite, and it looks stunning on any table.
- The perfect make-ahead dish. Just prep, chill, and toss with the dressing right before serving for maximum freshness and flavor.
- Every ingredient can be found at your local grocery store any time of year, so you can whip this up on a whim.
Ingredients needed to make this tortellini Caprese pasta salad
- Cheese tortellini: Cooked until al dente for delicious chewy texture.
- Cherry tomatoes: Halved. Grape tomatoes (halved) could also be used.
- Mozzarella pearls: You can find these in the deli section of your grocery store, and they’re packed in water. Their mild, sweet flavor is perfect for this Caprese tortellini salad.
- Baby spinach: Chopped with the stems removed.
- Fresh basil: A typical herb for Caprese dishes.
- Salad dressing: A combination of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Balsamic glaze: This is optional for serving.
How do you make this Caprese tortellini pasta salad?
Cook and cool the pasta:
- Cook the tortellini pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until it is al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander, then rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it completely.
- Set the cooled pasta aside in a medium to large bowl.
Prepare the fresh salad ingredients:
- In the same mixing bowl with the tortellini, add in the chopped spinach, halved tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and chopped basil.
Make the dressing:
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.
Assemble the Caprese pasta salad:
- Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and fresh salad ingredients. Gently fold and toss everything together until the pasta salad is thoroughly coated.
- Chill the assembled salad until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, toss the salad again to redistribute any of the olive oil that may have settled at the bottom of the bowl. You can also add extra oil if the pasta salad appears a bit dry.
- Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve!
Serving
Caprese tortellini pasta salad is the perfect summer salad that you can pair with grilled dishes, such as grilled chicken, grilled shrimp skewers, grilled steak, and juicy burgers.
Enjoy this Caprese tortellini salad as a light meal with a slice of Garlic Cheese Bread and a bowl of soup or load it with shredded chicken for a complete and wholesome meal.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store leftover Caprese tortellini pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid and you may need to add extra oil if it has become dry. The homemade dressing can be stored separately in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Give the balsamic salad dressing a good stir/shake before using again.
- Al dente pasta: Only cook the tortellini pasta until al dente. I usually shave 1-2 minutes off the package’s suggested cook time to achieve the perfect texture.
- Cooling the pasta: Running cold water over the cooked and strained pasta is a good way to cool it and stop it from cooking further. You can also place it in the fridge while preparing the fresh salad ingredients and dressing as a faster method for cooling the pasta.
- Make ahead: Assemble this tortellini Caprese pasta salad the night before to allow all of the flavors to meld together and intensify as it chills in the fridge. I recommend only adding the chopped basil to the pasta salad just before serving to preserve its color as basil is sensitive to temperature changes and can turn black as a result.
- Double the recipe: Double this Caprese tortellini pasta salad if you plan to serve a crowd or want extra for the days to follow. Trust me, you will want more!
- Cook in salted water: Always cook your pasta in salted water. It makes a huge difference to the overall flavor of the salad. And don’t forget to rinse the pasta to get rid of excess starch which can make the pasta stick together.
- Use a large bowl: Choose a large enough bowl to comfortably fold and toss the salad and dressing together.
Variations:
- Change the pasta: Use your favorite pasta to make this pasta salad (you don’t have to use tortellini pasta). I have made a similar dish with orzo in this Caprese Orzo Salad recipe and the results were just as good and resulted in a more refined appearance!
- Gluten-free: Swap regular pasta for a sturdy GF variety like black rice or chickpea pasta, which holds up well to dressings.
- Mozzarella: If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, use a larger ball of water-packed fresh mozzarella and cut it into even-sized cubes.
I absolutely love the additional boost of cheesy comforting flavor added to this summer pasta salad thanks to the cheese tortellini! If you have extra tortellini on hand, use it to make more delicious family meals, such as Taco Tortellini or Alfredo Tortellini Chicken.
Other Caprese-inspired recipes you may want to try:
- Caprese Chicken Casserole Recipe
- Black Rice Caprese Salad
- Grilled Polenta Caprese Appetizer
- Caprese Salad Skewers
- Caprese Sandwich Sliders Recipe
Get the Recipe:
Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 20 oz cheese tortellini, uncooked, approximately 5 cups uncooked
- 10 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. Mozzarella pearls
- 1 cup chopped baby spinach, stems removed
- ½ cup chopped basil
For the Sauce
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp each: salt and pepper
- Balsamic glaze, optional or serving
Equipment
- Large Salad Bowl
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until it is al dente.
- Drain the pasta in a colander, then rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool it completely.
- Set the cooled pasta aside in a medium to large bowl.
- In the same mixing bowl with the tortellini, add in the chopped spinach, halved tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, and chopped basil.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.
- Pour the prepared dressing over the pasta and fresh salad ingredients. Gently fold and toss everything together until the pasta salad is thoroughly coated.
- Chill the assembled salad until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, toss the salad again to redistribute any of the olive oil that may have settled at the bottom of the bowl. You can also add extra oil if the pasta salad appears a bit dry.
- Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and serve!
Notes
Sandy’s tips:
- Storage: Store leftover Caprese tortellini pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to absorb liquid and you may need to add extra oil if it has become dry. The homemade dressing can be stored separately in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Give the balsamic salad dressing a good stir/shake before using again.
- Al dente pasta: Only cook the tortellini pasta until al dente. I usually shave 1-2 minutes off the package’s suggested cook time to achieve the perfect texture.
- Cooling the pasta: Running cold water over the cooked and strained pasta is a good way to cool it and stop it from cooking further. You can also place it in the fridge while preparing the fresh salad ingredients and dressing as a faster method for cooling the pasta.
- Make ahead: Assemble this tortellini Caprese pasta salad the night before to allow all of the flavors to meld together and intensify as it chills in the fridge. I recommend only adding the chopped basil to the pasta salad just before serving to preserve its color as basil is sensitive to temperature changes and can turn black as a result.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
