Best Tortellini Salad With Homemade Italian Dressing Recipes

TORTELLINI SALAD WITH HOMEMADE ITALIAN DRESSING

TORTELLINI SALAD with Homemade Italian Dressing image

This is one terrific pasta salad! It consists of cheese filled tortellini, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, kalamata olives, a little sweet bell pepper and basil, tossed in my super flavorful, tangy, homemade asiago Italian dressing. It's a party in your mouth! This recipe converts, easily, to vegetarian by omitting the pepperoni....

Provided by Tere Gill

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 28

Ingredients

ITALIAN DRESSING:
1/2 c olive oil, extra virgin
1/4 c white wine vinegar
2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp coarse ground mustard
2 Tbsp finely grated asiago cheese
1 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp dry parsley flakes
3/4 tsp dry basil flakes
1/8 tsp dry oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 small pinch paprika
1 small pinch onion powder
1 pinch fine pink himalayan salt or sea salt
1 - 2 Tbsp water only if using dressing on a lettuce salad
SALAD:
12 - 15 cherry tomatoes, quartered (i use red and yellow)
3 - 4 slice sweet bell pepper, chopped small (orange, red or yellow)
12 kalamata olives, sliced in thirds
12 - 15 slice pepperoni, quartered or cut in 1/6
3 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonade or chopped
3 - 4 Tbsp prepared italian dressing
6 oz dried 3 cheese tortellini (or your favorite tortellini, amount for 2 - 3 people; i use barilla.)
1/2 Tbsp fresh chives

Steps:

1. (* Important: It's best to make dressing at least one day ahead of time and store in refrigerator; remove from refrigerator, at least 1/2 hour before using, to allow solidified olive oil to liquify; shake well. )
2. Add all dressing ingredients to a pint jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well, or whisk together in a medium bowl; cover and refrigerate. Shake or mix well right before using.
3. To a large bowl, add tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, pepperoni and half of the fresh basil. Set aside, temporarily.
4. Cook tortellini according to package instructions; drain and rinse with cold water to cool (to avoid breakage, do NOT over-handle the tortellini.)
5. Add 3 tablespoons Italian dressing to the tomato bowl; mix together well.
6. Add well drained tortellini to tomato mixture; fold gently to combine and coat with dressing (add extra dressing, if desired.)
7. Plate the salad, or pour into serving dish; scatter extra basil and chives over all. Serve, or cover and refrigerate until served.

CAPRESE MACARONI SALAD

Caprese Macaroni Salad image

When fresh tomatoes and basil are abundant in the summer, I like to make this wonderful Caprese macaroni salad. -Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Lunch Side Dishes

Time 20m

Yield 7 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing mix
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely., For dressing, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, dressing mix, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, mozzarella and macaroni. Add dressing; gently toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Top with basil and Parmesan before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 397 calories, Fat 31g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 29mg cholesterol, Sodium 458mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 10g protein.