Description
Homemade caprese tortellini pasta salad blends classic Italian flavors with fresh summer ingredients. Cheese-filled tortellini, ripe tomatoes, mozzarella, and fragrant basil create a refreshing dish that transports you to Mediterranean coastal regions.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package (20 oz / 567 g) cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
- 1.5 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mozzarella balls (bocconcini or ciliegine), halved if large
- 0.5 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps balsamic glaze (plus extra for drizzling)
- 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Boil Pasta: Immerse tortellini in heavily salted, rapidly boiling water, cooking until achieving perfect al dente texture as specified on package instructions.
- Cool Preparation: Drain tortellini immediately in a colander, rinse with cold water to terminate cooking process, then spread out to cool completely and prevent adhesion.
- Compose Base: In a generous mixing vessel, assemble cooled tortellini as the fundamental layer, creating a pasta foundation for the salad.
- Integrate Fresh Components: Slice cherry tomatoes into halves, introduce fresh mozzarella balls, and delicately scatter torn basil leaves throughout the mixture, establishing a vibrant flavor landscape.
- Dress and Season: Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze across the ensemble, then sprinkle sea salt and cracked black pepper to elevate the taste profile, ensuring balanced and harmonious seasoning.
- Merge Ingredients: Tenderly fold all components together, maintaining the structural integrity of tortellini and preventing ingredient compression.
- Chill and Develop: Refrigerate the salad for a minimum of 30 minutes, allowing flavors to harmonize and intensify.
- Final Presentation: Before serving, embellish with additional fresh basil, an extra cascade of balsamic glaze, and a delicate dusting of aged Parmesan cheese, transforming the dish into a sophisticated culinary creation.
Notes
- Prevent Pasta Overcooking: Watch tortellini closely during boiling, as overcooking leads to mushy texture and ruins the dish’s integrity.
- Chill Pasta Properly: Rinse with cold water immediately after cooking to stop the cooking process and maintain perfect al dente consistency.
- Balance Ingredient Proportions: Ensure equal distribution of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil for harmonious flavor in every bite.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Let salad rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow ingredients to marinate and develop complex taste profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg