This creamy tortellini salad is loaded with fresh spinach, peas, and cooked tortellini pasta for a great vegetarian summer side dish. This pasta salad has a wonderfully creamy ranch dressing, a great crowd pleaser for your next pot luck, bbq, or party!
What’s better than a sweet and tangy salad that goes great with anything off the BBQ? This Ranch Tortellini Salad is a super fun take on the classic summer side dish. The dressing is made with a fantastic ranch dressing and some extra spices – so it has TONS of flavor and is vegetarian.
This Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe Is:
- Creamy
- Loaded with Flavor
- Tangy
- Delicious
- Satisfying
- Vegetarian
- A fun summer side dish, the perfect crowd pleasing dish for your summer BBQ, potluck, or cookout
I can’t deny it, I’m a pasta salad lover. Absolutely and unabashedly obsessed with the stuff. Growing up in the Midwest I love all creamy salads, and creamy pasta salads are my go-to summer recipes for entertaining. For me, no BBQ is complete without pasta salad, macaroni salad, or coleslaw. The combination of crunchy veggies and a creamy tangy dressing make a BBQ complete.
This creamy tortellini pasta salad is a super vibrant and fresh take on the classic pasta salad. The crunchy veggies and sweet peas pair really well with the creamy ranch dressing. This summer side dish pasta salad goes great with burgers, dogs, or anything off the BBQ.
Whats In This Vegetarian Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe?
- Dried Tortellini – there are some really fantastic dried tortellini options out there, like this Barilla cheese and spinach version. Trader Joe’s also has a great dried tortellini in their pasta aisle as well. If you are looking for a vegan version, Kite Hill has a fantastic dairy free filled pasta that would also work in this recipe so well!
- Celery
- Green Peas – make sure you use no-salt-added peas to this dish. You can use frozen or these great unsalted canned peas, but avoid using the regular canned variety as they will alter the flavors in this dish.
- Onion
- Relish: to give the dish a little sweetness! I like this Chicago style relish which has a nice crunch… and as a Chicagoan myself, I love the bright green color of this relish in my mac salad!
- Apple Cider Vinegar, which gives this dressing a little extra tang which is really fantastic! I love using this organic apple cider vinegar with the mother which has a great flavor. I think it gives a nice extra sweetness and depth.
- Italian Seasoning Blend: usually has thyme, basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. I love this bright and flavorful Italian season mix which brings this amazing dish to life.
- Ranch Dressing – I love this gluten free and vegan ranch dressing, which gives this salad an amazing flavor and creaminess! I like using dairy free ranch for pasta salads, as the dressing won’t spoil out in the sun like dairy can.
- Tellicherry Black Pepper: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper. This pepper is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor! I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend.
Make Ahead Tortellini Salad for Entertaining!
This pasta salad is great for entertaining as it is an easy make-ahead side dish! It actually takes better the longer it sits. This is great to make a day ahead of your cookout and just grab and go to bring it along. The flavors marry together better when left sitting a while, and the veggies don’t lose any of their crunch! I love Make Ahead Meals (I have a whole recipe collection of them here) and am all in favor of prepping anything ahead of time!
How Do I Make This Ranch Tortellini Pasta Salad Vegetarian?
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside until cooled.
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In a large bowl add the cooled tortellini and the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Stir well to combine. Taste for flavor and add any additional spices, salt, or pepper as needed.
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Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container. Remove from fridge right before serving.
This is a fun dish that the whole family will love. The pasta salad provides a little nostalgia for the creamy pasta salads of yesteryear.
We normally do a ton of hosting in the summer on our homestead. I love having big BBQs where we have the smoker going, the charcoals warming, and the beer chilling in the refrigerator. And everyone moves on over to the firepit at night for roasting s’mores. I can’t wait to be able to put a big bowl of this tortellini salad out on the table for our friends.
A Few Other Favorite BBQ Side Dishes:
Vegan Tzatziki Pasta Salad (Gluten Free, Summer Side Dish)
Pot Luck Greek Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette (Vegan, Gluten Free, Party Recipe)
Avocado Grapefruit Salad (Raw Vegan, Paleo, Whole30, Gluten Free)
Coleslaw Pasta Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Kidney Bean Salad: Copy Cat Recipe (Vegetarian, Vegan Option)
Get the Same Ingredients I Used For My Tortellini Ranch Salad Recipe!
As always, if you make this Creamy Tortellini and Pea Salad Recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Creamy Tortellini Salad (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package cheese tortellini
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 cups green peas fresh, canned, or frozoen
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup relish
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the peas, mayo, relish, ranch dressing, italian seasoning, celery, onion, apple cider vinegar, and pepper. Add the cool tortellini noodles and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving... But overnight is best!
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