I found ricotta and spinach tortellini on sale the other day, and decided to make a pasta salad for a change of pace. (It’s hard to beat an 8-oz package for two dollars!) We’ve been eating lots of salads for dinner this summer, and this one has just been added to our seasonal rotation.
Again, this salad is very flexible—you can use any deli meat instead of prosciutto or salami (I’ve done it both ways), add chickpeas, or substitute mozzarella for burrata. You can cheat and use bottled dressing, if you like. You do you.
Tortellini Salad with Burrata
For the Salad
- 1 cup dry tortellini
- ~2 cups romaine lettuce, torn
- A small handful of basil leaves + more for garnish
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and chopped
- 1 Persian cucumber, sliced thin
- 1 cup bottled artichoke hearts, drained
- ¼ lb uncured salami or prosciutto, torn
- ½ cup black or kalamata olives
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 ball of burrata, torn
- Basil leaves for garnish
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
For the Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 anchovy filets, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh oregano leaves
- 1 Tbsp basil leaves, minced
- 1 Tbsp Italian parsley leaves, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Bring a pot of salted water with a tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.
Place the lettuce, parsley, basil, cucumber, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, onion, and Parmesan cheese (if using) into a large bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients into a jar and shake.
Add the dressing a few tablespoons at a time and gently toss until ingredients are lightly coated. Break up the burrata and scatter it over the top of the salad. Drizzle a little bit of dressing over the cheese. Garnish with basil and serve.
This serves about 4.
