There are a few food items that I don’t particularly like. Just a few.
And that’s olives. They’re just too bitter and salty for me. Unless, they’re stuffed with blue cheese then I will eat like two of them. Or if they’re mixed in a salad or on pizza, I will be happy to eat that salad and that pizza. But my taste buds just don’t get excited when I eat a plan old olive, like just pop one in my mouth. Kinda yuck. Isn’t that odd?
Same goes for tomatoes. I can’t take a bite out of tomato and enjoy it without gagging, but if it’s mixed with another ingredient, sure I can gobble them up.
So I love/hate olives, but I absolutely LOVE them in this Greek Tortellini Pasta Salad. Maybe it’s because they’re mixed IN the dressing? I guess I could leave them out of this recipe, but I truthfully don’t think it would be as good. They do have their time and place and in this salad, they are a flavorful ingredient.
Along with every other ingredient in here. I really don’t see any of these ingredients being taken out of the mix. They just marry so well together and provide such a flavorful salty, greeky, bite.
Tomatoes, Olives, Cucumbers, and Feta just go together like peas and carrots, like peanut butter and jelly.
Add cheese tortellini to the mix? It gets even BETTER. I could eat this cheese tortellini plain. In fact I did. If your grocery store sells Rana Tortellini, go out and buy it. Like this very second. NOW. GO!
It’s the best pre-package tortellini ever. And they’re huge! Who doesn’t love a huge bite of cheese stuffed pasta clouds?
Best bite ever.
- 2, 12 ounces packages cheese tortellnin (I used Rayna)
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Feta cheese (as much as you want)
- Dressing
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup + 1 /8 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (1/2 garlic clove)
- Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and let cool completely.
- Prepare all the vegetables by chopping, dicing or mincing and placing them in a large bowl.
- To prepare dressing, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Once tortellini has cooled, add vegetables, feta cheese, and dressing, gently mix and enjoy.
Rustedrecipebox
This looks delish. Nice twist on pasta salad!
Catherine
Dear Jessica, This sounds wonderful. I love a light salad like this…just my kind of dish. Pinned! xo, Catherine
Melissa Falk
I could eat a Greek salad every day for the rest of life. Adding tortellini is such a great addition 🙂
Christin@SpicySouthernKitchen
I make Greek Pasta Salad a lot but I never thought to use cheese Tortellini. It looks amazing!
Jessica Erin
Thanks Christine! The tortellini is great in it!