Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad
Our Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad combines fresh cheese-filled tortellini pasta, feta cheese, kalamata olives, garbanzo beans, and tons of veggies – all topped with a delicious Greek vinaigrette. This is a delicious summer salad that the whole family will love!
Tortellini Pasta is such a great grocery store find. It’s super quick to make and I love the cheese in the center. Try my Fire-Roasted Tomato Tortellini Soup for the best soup using this amazing pasta!
Greek Pasta Salad
Summertime is a perfect time to try all of the pasta salads. Fire up the grill and add a few fresh side dishes. For some other delicious pasta recipes, try our Chickpea Tuna Pasta Salad, Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad, or Zesty Italian Pasta Salad.
I always think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding when I make Greek recipes. That movie is one of my favorites and I’ve watched it several times. I love their BIG family get-togethers and how they are always in each other’s business. It’s how I imagine my family to be – if we didn’t live in six different states! The characters make me laugh and I will never look at a bottle of Windex the same.
Why This Recipe Works:
- SIMPLE – This easy pasta salad is the perfect side dish for summer potlucks. This one gets rave reviews from family and friends!
- FULL OF FLAVOR – Your taste buds will be happy with the combo of tender pasta, a variety of veggies, creamy feta, and a tangy homemade Greek dressing.
- LOTS OF HEALTHY VEGGIES – We love adding veggies to pasta salads, including crisp cucumbers, plump tomatoes, and thinly sliced red onion.
- GREAT FOR ENTERTAINING – Serve this for family gatherings, pool parties, or simple weeknight dinners.
Ingredients Used:
- Cheese Tortellini Pasta – We rotate between regular tortellini and a blend of spinach and regular.
- Garbanzo Beans – aka chickpeas
- Feta Cheese – We use the basil and sun-dried tomato version.
- Kalamata Olives – Or use black or green olives instead.
- Cucumbers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Banana Peppers (optional)
- Creamy Dressing – Our tangy dressing combines extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, and seasonings (oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper).
How to make Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad:
Step 1
Make dressing. In a 12 oz. mason jar, combine the following ingredients – olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon dressing, sugar, and seasonings. Shake well and set aside.
Step 2
Cook tortellini. Bring a medium stockpot full of water to a boil. Then add some salt and tortellini and turn down heat to a simmer. Let cook just a few minutes until done. Drain pasta.
NOTE: For even more flavor, add a little bit of the zesty Greek vinaigrette to the cooked tortellini while it’s still warm.
Step 3
Chop fresh veggies. Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions.
Step 4
Prep canned/jarred ingredients. Strain olives and banana peppers. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Halve the olives and chop banana peppers if desired.
Step 5
Assemble salad. To a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, veggies, jarred ingredients, and feta cheese.
Step 6
Add dressing. Then add some of the dressing and mix well. Add more as desired.
Chill salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Step 7
Serve salad. Add some extra black pepper and fresh basil to serve the salad. Add more dressing as needed.
This salad is best served fresh, but you can store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be aware that the texture of the pasta may change slightly upon storage.
What to serve with Tortellini Pasta Salad:
Try one of these main dish recipes to pair with our Greek Pasta Salad recipe.
Recipe FAQs:
You can add protein such as grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a more substantial meal. You can also add other Mediterranean ingredients like artichoke hearts or roasted red peppers for additional flavor. Feel free to experiment and make it your own!
Yes, you can prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator. Combine everything an hour before serving to keep the ingredients fresh and crisp.
Yes, you can use a store-bought Greek dressing instead of homemade, if desired.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the pasta salad:
- 20 oz. packaged tortellini – refrigerated version
- 1 cup english cucumber – sliced thin
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (variety) – sliced in half
- 1/4 cup red onion – sliced thin
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans – rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives – sliced in half
- 1/3 cup banana peppers – drained
- 6 oz. feta cheese – crumbled
For the Greek Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Make dressing. In a 12 oz. mason jar, combine the following ingredients – olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon dressing, sugar, and seasonings. Shake well and set aside.
- Cook pasta. Bring a medium stockpot full of water to a boil. Then add some salt and tortellini and turn down heat to a simmer. Let cook just a few minutes until done. Drain pasta.For extra flavor, add some of the dressing to the warm pasta.
- Chop veggies. Chop the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions.
- Prep canned/jarred ingredients. Strain olives and banana peppers. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Halve the olives and chop banana peppers if desired.
- Assemble salad. To a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, veggies, jarred ingredients, and feta cheese.
- Add dressing. Then add some of the dressing and mix well. Add more as desired.
- Serve salad. Add some extra black pepper and fresh basil to serve the salad.. Add more dressing as needed.
Notes
- For even more flavor, add a little bit of the zesty Greek vinaigrette to the cooked tortellini while it’s still warm.
- This salad is best served fresh, but you can store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be aware that the texture of the pasta may change slightly upon storage.
This was the second of three salads I made for a party and was delicious!
Thanks Jackie!
This is always good, but awesome in the summer and pool parties.
Thanks honey! 🙂