Tortellini Caprese Salad (Printable)

Tender cheese tortellini tossed with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil in a balsamic dressing. Ready in 22 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fresh or refrigerated cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables & Herbs

02 - 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 4 oz fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved
04 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Dressing

05 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
06 - 1½ tablespoons balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Method:

01 - Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly, then rinse under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta. Set aside.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooled tortellini, halved cherry tomatoes, halved bocconcini, and torn basil leaves.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze (or vinegar), minced garlic, a pinch of salt, and several grinds of black pepper until well emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly to coat all ingredients evenly.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry before serving.

# Insider Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 25 minutes, which means you can make it while your guests are walking through the door.
  • The combination of cheese filled pasta with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes tastes like summer in a bowl without any heavy sauces weighing it down.
  • It travels beautifully, making it the dish everyone asks you to bring to cookouts and potlucks.
02 -
  • Rinsing the tortellini under cold water is not optional here because leftover heat continues cooking the pasta and turns it mushy within minutes.
  • If you use balsamic vinegar instead of glaze, add a half teaspoon of honey to balance the sharpness and approximate that mellow sweetness.
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater because this is your only chance to season the tortellini from the inside out.
  • Let the dressed salad sit at room temperature for ten minutes before eating because cold mutes flavors and the real magic happens when everything is just slightly warm from the kitchen air.

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