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This tortellini caprese salad is a fresh, easy pasta salad made with cheese tortellini, juicy tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and balsamic dressing. It’s ready in minutes and perfect for summer dinners, potlucks, BBQs, or a simple make-ahead lunch.
Why This Tortellini Caprese Salad is Perfect for Summer
If you love traditional Caprese salad and you’re looking to try a new pasta dish, this is going to be your new pasta salad of the summer. This cold tortellini pasta salad combines two of my favorite summer side dishes: Caprese salad and pasta salad!
- Fresh Caprese flavor with a heartier twist. This recipe combines everything you love about classic Caprese salad – fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, basil, and balsamic flavor, with cheese tortellini to make it more filling.
- Perfect for parties, BBQs, and potlucks. This cold tortellini pasta salad is easy to make ahead and holds up well for summer gatherings, cookouts, and easy entertaining.
- Simple ingredients, big flavor. All of the ingredients make the pasta taste fresh and flavorful without a lot of work.
- Easy to customize. Add spinach, kale, avocado, deli meats, or extra vegetables to make it your own.
- Great for meal prep. Leftovers taste delicious the next day, making this caprese salad with tortellini pasta perfect for easy lunches or quick dinners throughout the week.
Ingredient Notes
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Cheese tortellini: Fresh or frozen tortellini works great here. Fresh tortellini tends to maintain a little bit firmer of a texture, while frozen tortellini makes this pasta salad easy to keep on hand year-round.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: These work best because they’re naturally sweet and hold their shape well in pasta salads.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese: You can make your life easier by using fresh mozzarella pearls or slice your own fresh mozzarella balls into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Fresh basil: The fresh flavors of basil are a must for anything Caprese-inspired.
- Balsamic dressing ingredients:
- White balsamic vinegar: You can use regular balsamic vinegar too, of course! White balsamic vinegar is a little bit sweeter.
- Fresh lemon juice: Use a citrus squeezer to make lemon squeezing so much easier!
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my favorite for this easy balsamic vinaigrette.
- Fresh garlic: I love using fresh garlic in homemade dressings. To get your garlic super finely minced, this garlic grater is a life saver!
- Honey or maple syrup: For just a little bit of sweetness.
- Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper: Simple seasonings keep the fresh flavors front and center.
Variations
- Swap the dressing. Use fresh basil pesto instead and turn it into a pesto tortellini salad.
- Use another type of pasta. Swap the tortellini for your favorite cooked pasta. Rotini or bow-tie pasta would work great.
- Add greens. Stir in some chopped spinach or kale for more nutrient dense veggies.
- Elevate the flavor with a kick of heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes if you want it a little spicy.
- Use more veggies. Red onion, avocado, and red or yellow peppers are great additions to make it your own.
- Switch out the cheese. Swap mozzarella for your favorite cheese sliced into smaller pieces. Cheddar, monterey jack, Swiss or even feta cheese would all be delicious.
How to Make Tortellini Caprese Salad
This caprese tortellini pasta salad comes together in a few easy steps, making it the perfect side salad for hot summer days or easy dinner for any day of the week.
- Cook your tortellini according to package instructions, then drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, make your balsamic vinaigrette. In a small bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk well and taste test! Add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- In a large bowl, add cooked tortellini, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese.
- Pour dressing on top and combine gently.
- Garnish with extra basil and enjoy!
Jamie’s Tips
Expert Recipe Tips
- Cook the tortellini just until tender. Overcooked tortellini can become too soft and fall apart once tossed with the dressing.
- Rinse briefly with cool water after cooking. This helps stop the cooking process and cools the tortellini down faster.
- Toss the tortellini with a little dressing while still slightly warm. The tortellini absorbs more flavor this way and is less likely to stick together.
- Add the fresh basil just before serving. Fresh basil can darken and wilt if it sits in the dressing too long.
- Making it ahead? Refresh before serving. Toss with a little extra olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or dressing before serving leftovers.
- Serve chilled or slightly cool. This salad tastes best once the flavors have had time to come together, but not necessarily cold straight from the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
This caprese tortellini salad works great as an easy side dish, light lunch, or simple summer dinner. You can serve this easy Caprese tortellini salad as a stand alone dish, or make it a bit more balanced by adding grilled chicken or sliced deli meat to bump up the protein.
This tortellini caprese salad would go great with these recipes, too:
Perfectly Cooked Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts
Storage Instructions
Store leftover tortellini caprese salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For the freshest flavor and texture, wait to add the fresh basil and dressing until just before serving if making the salad ahead of time.
As the salad sits, the tortellini may absorb some of the dressing. Before serving leftovers, toss everything with a small drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or extra balsamic vinaigrette to freshen it back up.
This pasta salad is best served chilled or slightly cool. I don’t recommend freezing it since the mozzarella and tomatoes will become watery once thawed.
More Summer Salads
Tortellini Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz cheese tortellini
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, pearls, or sliced into small pieces
- 1/4 cup basil, thinly sliced
White balsamic vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, or regular balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or microplaned
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper, more to taste
- 1 tsp honey, or maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook your tortellini according to package instructions, usually about 5-6 minutes. When finished cooking, drain and set aside. I like to rinse it quickly under cold water and then tossing it in a small drizzle of olive oil while it cools.
- In a small bowl, make your balsamic vinaigrette. Combine balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk well and taste test! Add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- In a large bowl, add cooked tortellini, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese. Pour dressing on top and combine gently.
- Garnish with extra basil and enjoy!
Notes
- Fresh or frozen tortellini both work well.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes work best. They hold their shape and add a natural sweetness without making the salad watery.
- Add the fresh basil and balsamic vinaigrette just before serving. This ensures the freshest flavor and best texture.
- If making ahead, refresh the salad with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or extra balsamic vinaigrette before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
Easy to make! I made this as a quick side for a get-together and it was perfect.