Creamy Broccoli Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe - Inside BruCrew Life (2024)

Add this Tortellini Pasta Salad to your summer picnic plans. The creamy homemade dressing, crunchy bacon, and broccoli make this easy picnic salad a hit with everyone.

During the summer, we eat picnic salads with grilled chicken or burgers for dinner. Our kids always request bacon ranch pasta salad or veggie pasta salad.

Last week,I changed up this broccoli salad by adding some tortellini pasta and smoked sausage. It was a delicious way to turn the side dish into a full meal.

Why This Cold Tortellini Salad Works

Your friends and family will love this delicious classic pasta salad recipe twist. It's creamy, cheesy, and made with cheesy tortellini, fresh broccoli, and crunchy bacon. The cold side dish is great for any summer activity!

• Easy to Prepare. The pasta can be cooked and cooled beforehand, then mixed with other ingredients for a convenient and easy dinner.
• Versatile. Customize your salad with various types of tortellini, veggies, and dressings like Italian vinaigrette, pesto, or balsamic dressing.
• Summer-friendly. The dish is great for outdoor picnics and potlucks because of its fresh ingredients and chilled temperature.
• Crowd-pleasing. The combination of bacon, creamy dressing, and pasta makes this salad popular with kids and adults.

Main Ingredients

This broccoli tortellini salad is the perfect choice for dinner or picnics. With just a handful of fresh veggies and simple ingredients, it's easy to whip up and incredibly delicious.

• Cheese Tortellini - Find these in your local store's refrigerated or freezer section. Feel free to use the regular or tri-color ones.
• Fresh Broccoli - Chop the florets into bite-sized pieces that fit on a fork.
• Bacon - Cook and crumble it ahead of time.
• Smoked Sausage - This meat is fully cooked, so you can eat it as it is.
• Cheddar Cheese - Shredded cheese can be evenly distributed throughout the salad. If you would like larger chunks of cheese, cut a block of cheese into smaller cubes.
• Salad Dressing - Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, and honey to make a homemade pasta salad dressing. You can substitute any creamy sauce you prefer.

BruCrew Tip: Make these bacon jalapeno deviled eggs with the leftover bacon.

How to Make Tortellini Salad

You won't believe how easy this tortellini pasta salad recipe is. Just combine everything, and voila, it's ready to enjoy!

1. Cook the tortellini. Cook the noodles to al dente, then rinse with cold water. You can make these the night before if you like. Just drizzle a little olive oil on them before refrigerating them.
2. Prep the ingredients. Chop the veggies and slice the sausage.
3. Assemble the salad. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until right before serving.
4. Stir in the dressing. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, and honey. Pour over the salad and stir until coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Storage Recommendations

Refrigerate the broccoli tortellini salad in a covered airtight container. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days. Remember that the pasta will absorb the dressing, so add more before serving.

Tips and Tricks

• Add other veggies. Sliced black olives, red onion, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, or diced red bell peppers add flavor and color.
• Replace the cheese. Try mozzarella balls, provolone, feta cheese, or parmesan cheese.
• Try other proteins. Add diced ham, grilled chicken, or pepperoni in place of the sausage.
• Use store-bought dressing. If you have a creamy sauce that you like, use that in place of the homemade version. An Italian dressing also tastes good.
• Make it creamier. This recipe is made with a light amount of dressing. If you or your family likes creamier salad, double the sauce.
• Stir in the dressing right before serving. The pasta will soak the sauce if you add it to the noodles ahead of time or refrigerate it overnight.

FAQs

More Cold Salads with Pasta

• Pizza Pasta Salad
• Easy Macaroni Salad
• Spinach Caprese Salad
• Southwest Pasta Salad

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Recipe

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Yield: 1 large bowl of pasta salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

A creamy homemade dressing, meats, and veggies make this easy Bacon Broccoli Tortellini Salad a delicious pasta salad for summer picnics.

Ingredients

• 1 - 19 ounce bag frozen tortellini
• 2 cups chopped broccoli
• 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 12 ounces smoked sausage, cut into slices
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the bag of tortellini according to the package directions. Drain, rinse in cold water, and chill.
2. Stir together the broccoli, bacon, cabbage, sausage, and cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooled pasta. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, and honey. Chill the dressing until time to eat.
4. Pour the dressing on the pasta salad and stir in right before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Notes

• Add other veggies. Sliced black olives, red onion, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, or diced red bell peppers add flavor and color.

• Replace the cheese. Try mozzarella cheese, provolone, feta cheese, or parmesan cheese.
• Try other proteins. Add diced ham, grilled chicken, or pepperoni in place of the sausage.
• Use store-bought dressing. If you have a creamy dressing that you like, use that in place of the homemade version. An Italian dressing also tastes good.
• Make it creamier. Double the amount of dressing if you and your family like creamier salads.
• Stir in the dressing right before serving. The pasta will soak the dressing up if you make it ahead of time or refrigerate it overnight.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 419Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 722mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

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See Also

Homemade Tomato Paste Recipe 🍅 How To Make Tomato PastePaleo Creamy Tomato Bisque Recipe - Creamy & DeliciousEasy Pecan Pie Recipe: Perfect every time! -Baking a MomentLow Carb Panna Cotta Recipe With Mascarpone Cheese - Easy & Creamy

*This post was first published in May 2017. It was updated and republished in August 2023.

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