Balsamic Tortellini Caprese Salad
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This tortellini Caprese salad is fresh, fast, and full of bright flavors! A simple balsamic dressing elevates these classic ingredients to the best quick lunch, easy dinner, or picnic fare that is likely to earn rave reviews.
Summer is all about simple meals and big flavors, and ideally, those two intersecting at every available opportunity. I’m a tortellini addict, and the idea of pairing the pillowy pasta with some of summer’s most classic and appealing flavors — juicy tomatoes, vibrant greens, creamy mozzarella — is a no-brainer.
My favorite things about this tortellini Caprese are how incredibly easy it is to throw together and how well it works for all kinds of occasions. It’s a breezy main dish for the family or sharing with friends who came to relax on the porch. It’s a satisfying side or meatless option to serve buffet-style. It packs well for a neighborhood BBQ, park picnic, or pool-side dinner. No matter what, it fits right in and is likely to be a big hit.
Ingredient Notes
Variations
Swap the baby spinach for arugula, which has a peppery twinge, or add bell peppers into the mix for more color. To bulk up this salad, toss in some shredded rotisserie chicken or a can of white Cannellini beans.
Tortellini Caprese: Tips and Tricks
These are specific tips and tricks to keep in mind to make this simple recipe fool-proof. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Salty like the sea! Use well-salted water to cook the tortellini — I usually add at least 1 full teaspoon of kosher salt per large pot of water. This ensures the cooking water is salty enough to impart subtle flavor to the pasta, and is especially important in a simple dish like this one, where each component needs to carry its weight.
Don’t let the tortellini stick. If your tortellini is done cooking while you are still chopping tomatoes and spinach, pause the chopping and toss the warm, drained tortellini with the balsamic dressing, or even just 1 teaspoon of olive oil. This prevents the dreaded stuck-together-pasta effect.
Dab excess water from the cheese. If using water-packed mozzarella, drain it well and dab lightly with a kitchen or paper towel before adding it to the other ingredients.
Make It Ahead
You can fully prepare this tortellini Caprese and store in the fridge, tightly-covered, for 4-6 hours prior to serving. While I would serve it warm or at room temperature when freshly made, it is also delicious fridge-cold when made in advance.
As you’d expect, any extra salad also keeps very well. I love to eat it for lunches throughout the week, and have no problem eating leftovers after 2-3 days.
Balsamic Tortellini Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 18-20 ounces fresh tortellini any flavor
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cups baby spinach coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil slivered
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls see note
- balsamic glaze optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, followed by the tortellini. Cook just to al dente, according to package directions, then drain and set aside.18-20 ounces fresh tortellini
- In a small jar or liquid measuring cup, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Shake, whisk, or stir well to combine.1/3 cup olive oil, 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and black pepper
- When the tortellini is drained, toss it with either a small amount of the dressing or a small drizzle of olive oil, to avoid sticking. Set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Halve the tomatoes, coarsely chop the spinach, and sliver the basil into thin strands. Combine these in a bowl, add the mozzarella pearls or pieces, and stir gently to combine.1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, 2 cups baby spinach, 1/4 cup fresh basil, 8 ounces mozzarella pearls
- Fold the tortellini gently into the bowl. Season with more salt and pepper to taste, then top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and extra basil leaves, if desired. Serve right away, or store in the fridge for up to 6 hours and serve cold. Enjoy!balsamic glaze
Notes
- Tortellini: My first choice for this recipe is fresh cheese tortellini, because they cook quickly and put the spotlight on the fresh tomatoes, spinach, and mozzarella. Dried tortellini also works, just cook according to package directions, and experiment with different fillings that you like (spinach, chicken, prosciutto, etc.)
- Mozzarella: If I’m making this salad, I try to pick up an 8 ounce container of the very small mozzarella balls, known as pearls. They are the perfect size without any cutting or slicing. Of course you can also use any other type of mozzarella, and just tear or cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Variations: This is also excellent with baby arugula, if you prefer that to spinach. Add bell pepper for more color and another veggie. Add shredded cooked chicken or white beans to bulk it up.
- Storage: This keeps very well. Store in the fridge up to 3 days, tightly-covered.
Nutrition Estimate
This post was originally published on July 31, 2020, and has been updated with new photos, more specific information on preferred ingredients, and ideas for variations.
More Easy Pasta Salads
If you enjoy this recipe, you might also like my lemon orzo salad with feta, cheesy tortellini Italian pasta salad, an easy Caprese pasta salad with prosciutto, pasta salad with chickpeas and roasted red peppers, and this simple tortellini with roasted veggies and basil vinaigrette.
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With tortellini, cherry tomatoes and lots of spinach to spare, this simple and easy recipe came up and I am so happy it did. My partner who prefers meat over vegetable-based meals complimented me twice about it! Simple ingredients and full of flavour. Yum yum yum
Yay, I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing this feedback – I appreciate it so much!
I, my husband, and my daughter all enjoyed this. We used Trader Joe’s fresh spinach tortellini. We used marinated mozzarella balls from Aldi. We skipped the balsamic glaze. It took a total of 10-15 minutes—the longest activity was bringing the water to a boil. Looking forward to the leftovers and to making again!