Summer is in full swing and the Fourth of July is right around the corner, which means it’s officially salad season!!
Aka the time of year when it’s too hot to actually cook anything, so we just throw together random salads for every meal.
It’s kind of lazy, and kind of amazing, and I totally love every second of it.
It’s also perfectly serendipitous that salad season coincides with backyard barbecue, pool party, and beach season. Because all these random giant salads are ideal for taking to a party and sharing with friends, if you’re in the market for such a thing.
So, today, I’m sharing another one of my favorite go-to summer salads.
This recipe requires less than 30 minutes to throw together, including boiling your tortellini, chopping all your veggies, and making the vinaigrette. It’s truly the quintessential summer dish.
Let’s start with the tortellini. While you could technically use any short pasta you love, there’s just something extra special about tortellini in pasta salad; I grabbed a package of cheese tortellini from the refrigerator section of the grocery store (aint nobody got time for homemade tortellini when it’s 90 degrees out). I’m usually drawn to whole grain or lentil-based pastas because they tend to be more flavorful and filling than straight up white flour pasta, but I’ve never come across whole grain tortellini before, so I just grabbed the best quality one I could find, and didn’t worry for even one second about it. Life is far too short to stress out about tortellini.
Once your tortellini is cooked and has been rinsed in cold water to cool it down, this salad goes something like this:
tortellini + a can of white beans + a can of artichokes + cherry tomatoes + fresh mozzarella + red onion.
Finally, a simple lemon basil vinaigrette gets poured over everything, and tossed to combine.
Voila!
Tortellini Salad.
It’s bright, fresh, lemony, and full of flavor + texture. The little bites of fresh mozzarella are a-mazing with the fresh cherry tomatoes and basil, and the artichokes and white beans add great texture (as well as a boost of protein + fiber) to the dish.
Eat it right away, or stick it in the fridge and eat it all week long for quick, no-cook lunches at the pool, beach, park, or office.
If you’re into summer salads, be sure to check out my Feta Pesto Pasta Salad with Arugula and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Pesto Caprese Farro Salad, Thai Kale Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing, Peach, Pecan & Blue Cheese Kale Salad, and Roasted Green Bean & Potato Salad. Or, just grab My Go-To Salad Dressing recipe and start building the summer salad of your dreams!
I hope you love this simple summer tortellini pasta salad as much as I do! If you try it out, let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or tagging me in a picture of it on Instagram. I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen! Stay cool, friends!
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