Tortellini Caprese Salad (Printable Version)

Fresh cheese tortellini tossed with classic Caprese ingredients in a zesty balsamic dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz cheese tortellini, fresh or refrigerated

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

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and rinse under cold running water to halt cooking and cool the pasta completely.
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 freshly ground black pepper until emulsified.
04 - Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad and gently toss to coat all ingredients without crushing the tomatoes or mozzarella.
05 - Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under twenty five minutes, which means you can make it while your guests are pouring drinks and nobody will feel neglected.
  • The combination of cold tortellini, juicy tomatoes, and that sweet balsamic drizzle tastes like summer decided to show off a little.
02 -
  • Rinsing the tortellini is not optional here, because leftover starch on the surface will make your dressing clumpy and the pasta sticky once cooled.
  • If you use balsamic vinegar instead of glaze, add a tiny drizzle of honey to balance the acidity or the whole dish can turn surprisingly sharp.
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water until it tastes like mild seawater, because this is the only chance you have to season the tortellini itself from the inside out.
  • Let the dressed salad sit at room temperature for ten minutes before serving, since cold tortellini straight from the fridge hides half the flavor you just built.

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