A good Greek salad is something I find myself craving at least every couple of months. I just can’t resist that salty combination of feta cheese and kalamata olives with the fresh crunch of cucumber and red onion and the bite of a red wine vinaigrette. Yum, all around.
It only makes sense that all of those wonderful things should make an appearance in the world of pasta salad, right? But I’ll do you one better — this Greek Tortellini Salad uses cheese tortellini for the pasta so you get a little extra cheese with your picnic. Who could ever complain about that?
Using tortellini as the base for your pasta salad makes it so much more filling and transforms it into the type of salad you can serve as a main or a side dish. This really works as both — I love it for a packed lunch just as much as I love to bring it to summer potlucks.
And this gets rave reviews when you do bring it anywhere. See, a cheese tortellini salad with even more cheese in it might seem like too much, but the acidity of the vinaigrette cuts through that richness and the crunch of the cucumber and red onion provide the perfect balance. So it’s not too much, it’s just right.
And it’s easy to make too. Just boil your tortellini (which has the added benefit of being faster than other pasta too) and toss it with some chopped cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, kalamata olives, and feta. It’s not a long ingredient list but it’s a good one.
And the dressing is better than anything you can buy in a bottle. Just whisk together some olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and garlic, and voila! Simple is often best and that’s sure the case here.
Greek Tortellini Salad
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 (20 oz) package refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium English cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped
- 3/4 cup red onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large pot of salted simmering water, cook the tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients: red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cooked tortellini to bowl, along with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, red onion, and feta. Toss to combine and serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod.