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Tuscan Tortellini Salad

Tuscan tortellini salad with tender cheese tortellini tossed in a creamy dressing, plus artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan. This easy tortellini recipe is cooked, cooled, and then chilled for a creamy, scoopable pasta salad texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 563
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini Cooked and cooled
  • 1 can (14 oz) artichoke hearts Quartered
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes Chopped
  • 2 cup baby spinach Baby spinach
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Shaved
  • 0.5 red onion red onion Thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup kalamata olives Halved
Tuscan dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 salt To taste
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the tortellini
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil and cook the refrigerated cheese tortellini according to the package directions. Drain, rinse cold, and cool completely (no warm pasta).
  2. Spread the cooled tortellini on a sheet pan in an even layer. Let it stand until fully cooled to help the salad stay creamy and not watery.
Make the Tuscan dressing
  1. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Set aside.
Assemble and chill
  1. In a large bowl, combine cooled tortellini with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion, and kalamata olives. Toss to distribute evenly.
  2. Pour the Tuscan dressing over the tortellini mixture and toss until everything is coated. Use gentle motions to keep tortellini tender.
  3. Fold in baby spinach and shaved parmesan just until spinach wilts slightly and the cheese is evenly mixed. Avoid overmixing.
  4. Refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes, then toss gently before serving. Chill time helps the flavors meld and thickens the dressing slightly.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the tortellini completely before mixing so the dressing clings instead of thinning. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; it doesn’t freeze well because the spinach and tortellini texture change when thawed. For a lighter option, replace mayonnaise with a 1:1 Greek yogurt–mayonnaise blend while keeping the oil and vinegar.