Garden Fresh Tortellini Salad
Tortellini pasta salad with blanched broccoli, carrots, leeks, and bell peppers in a homemade balsamic-thyme mayonnaise with orange zest. A colorful, garden-fresh vegetarian salad.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
6 minREADY
25 minTwo types of tortellini tossed with blanched broccoli, carrots, leeks, and jewel-toned bell peppers, all dressed in a from-scratch balsamic mayonnaise spiked with orange zest and thyme. This is a pasta salad that actually looks and tastes like a composed dish, not a potluck afterthought.
Cook each vegetable separately. Broccoli and carrots need different blanching times, and combining them in one pot means one will be overcooked while the other is still raw. Quick blanching keeps them crisp-tender and brightly colored.
The homemade dressing is worth the effort. Processing egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon, and balsamic vinegar while streaming in olive and vegetable oil gives you a light mayonnaise that coats every pasta pillow and vegetable without heaviness. The orange zest is the unexpected star; it adds a floral, citrusy brightness you’d never get from a bottled dressing.
Pro Tips
- Drain the tortellini well and toss while still slightly warm. Warm pasta absorbs dressing better than cold.
- Blanch the leeks for just one minute. They cook fast and turn slimy if overdone.
- Stream the oil in slowly while the food processor runs. Rushing creates a broken, separated dressing.
- Serve at room temperature for the best flavor. Cold mutes the basil and orange zest.
Variations
- Add grilled chicken or shrimp for a protein-packed main course salad.
- Swap balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar for a sharper, less sweet dressing.
- Toss in sun-dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts for a Mediterranean twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Break the broccoli into florets and slice the tender stems. Peel and cut the carrots diagonally into ¼ inch slices. Rinse, dry and cut the white part and 2 inches of the green into thin julienne.
Core, seed and cut into julienne strips the red and yellow peppers.
Cook the tortellini in boiling salted water according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly and place in a large mixing bowl. Cook the broccoli florets, stems and carrots separately in boiling salted water just until tender. Drain and combine with the tortellini.
Blanch the julienned leeks 1 minutes in boiling water; drain. Add the leeks, red and yellow peppers, and fresh basil to the salad and toss to combine.
Process the egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard and vinegar in a food processor for 30 seconds. With the machine running, pour the oils in a thin steady stream through the feed tube to make a light mayonnaise.
Add the thyme, orange zest and salt and pepper to taste. Process to combine.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat thoroughly. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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