Tortellini and Broccoli Salad
Tortellini and Broccoli Salad is tossed with a “no-cook” sauce! This is a savory pasta salad that is best served warm or at room temperature and guarantees to be big on flavor and very satisfying.
Tortellini and Broccoli Salad
This recipe for Tortellini and Broccoli Salad is made with extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, sundried tomatoes, fresh steamed broccoli, and tortellini pasta. The key to this salad is in the marinade, or as we like to call it, “the sauce!” And, it is made with 6 ingredients!
The sauce needs NO cooking at all, and it can be made in advance.
It’s SO flavorful, it makes this salad the perfect dish every time. Everyone raves and always asks us for the recipe!
The Secret To The Marinade:
- The flavors are intensified with chopped sundried tomatoes, fresh minced garlic, and red pepper flakes (to add some heat).
- Then it sits aside and marinates in extra virgin olive oil for a while, for it to work its magic!
- This will infuse all the flavors into the olive oil, making the sauce all by itself.
*Once the tortellini and broccoli are ready, everything is gently tossed together and served warm or at room temperature.
Tips for Success:
- Always use the highest quality of extra-virgin olive oil; it makes a huge difference in the taste.
- You can adjust the amount of sauce added to the mixture: adding as much or as little to your liking.
- Plus, the pasta with absorb most of the moisture in the sauce. Therefore, you can pour in additional sauce or extra virgin olive oil to your preference.
- Also, for quick tips, check out Blanching and Steaming Vegetables, for steaming fresh broccoli, and How to Clean Broccoli Properly.
Also, Tips for Cooking Tortellini:
- One thing we do know from experience is that whether you use frozen or fresh tortellini, both will cook up very quickly!
- At first, when you add them to the boiling water, they will sink to the bottom. But then, as soon as they float to the top (which should only take about a minute or two) they will be “al dente,” and will need an additional minute or so, to be ready.
- Do not overcook the tortellini, or you could end up with a mushy pasta salad.
Overview: Ingredients You Will Need:
TORTELLINI: This can be either fresh or frozen cheese tortellini, and you will need 1 pound.
FRESH BROCCOLI: Choose at least 1 head of fresh broccoli. If you need some tips on cleaning it? Check out our post on How to Clean Broccoli Properly.
CLOVES OF GARLIC: And, you will need at least 4 cloves, minced for the sauce.
CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES: You will need some red pepper to give it some heat. And, you can substitute with some cayenne pepper instead.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Choose the best quality EVOO for the sauce. It makes a huge difference in flavor.
SUNDRIED TOMATOES: We prefer to use “sundried tomatoes in oil” instead of dried ones. They have more flavor and are already marinated, too.
SEASONINGS: You will only need some table salt for this recipe. If you prefer, you can add some fresh cracked black pepper.
FRESH HERBS: If you have any fresh basil or fresh parsley, you can finely chop some and toss them into the bowl before serving. If you don’t have any, no worries.
How To Make Tortellini and Broccoli Salad
Our full recipe card is located at the bottom of this page. But first, let’s go over a few easy steps to make this delicious salad:
- First, prepare the marinade, which consists of only 4 ingredients!
- Next, set it aside to do its magic!
- Then, steam your broccoli, and boil the tortellini pasta, then drain.
- Toss everything in a salad bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or basil. Then serve!
FAQs…
- Can we make this pasta salad ahead? Yes, you can. You can make it hours before serving, and even up to one day ahead. If you make it one day ahead, cover the salad bowl, and keep it chilled in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
- Can we make it with “frozen broccoli”? Yes, but remember to rinse the frozen broccoli, and drain. You can use it thawed in this salad, or you can quickly saute the frozen broccoli in a skillet with some olive oil and salt to give it some flavor.
- How can we make it “Dairy-Free?” That is easy! Use tortellini filled with either vegetable or cured meat, instead of cheese. And, you can make this salad with farfalle pasta or cavatelli pasta, instead of tortellini.
Storing…
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and keep them chilled in your refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Leftovers are great for lunch the next day, and reheating them is not required. 😉
Tortellini and broccoli salad are best served at room temperature. But it’s also great when served chilled.
This pasta salad is ideal for all gatherings, and especially for picnics and BBQs. It is an ideal salad to make all year long. No matter if we serve it warm or cold, I can tell you that this tortellini and broccoli salad is always the first bowl that disappears every time it is set down on the table!
Try this one and let us know.
ENJOY!
More Easy Pasta Salads!
- Easy Italian Macaroni Salad
- Best Orzo Salad with Spinach
- Lemon Arugula Pasta Salad
- Three Cheese Tortellini Salad
- Easy Pasta Salad with Bocconcini
Your comments help us! If you try our delicious pasta salad, let us know and leave a comment below, and don’t forget the stars! We’d love to hear from you. And, thank you! Have a Delicious Day! 🙂
Tortellini and Broccoli Salad
Tortellini and Broccoli Salad is tossed with a "no-cook" sauce! This is a savory pasta salad that is best served warm or at room temperature and guarantees to be big on flavor and very satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 packages (about 1 pound, 453grams) of frozen Cheese Tortellini
- 1 head of fresh broccoli - rinsed, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- 1/8 tsp. (.625ml) crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil, and extra
- 5 to 6 sundried tomatoes, in oil - chopped
- salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley or basil - finely chopped, as garnish
Instructions
FIRST, Steam the Broccoli:
- Add broccoli pieces to a medium-size pot with 1-inch of water. Cover with a lid and bring to boil. Boil the broccoli for 2 minutes, or until the broccoli turns to a bright- dark green color.
- Turn off the heat, and drain the water. Return the broccoli back to the pot, cover, and set aside, allowing to steam for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- In the meantime, prepare the marinade! Place minced garlic, olive oil, red pepper, and sundried tomatoes into a small bowl or plastic container. Mix all the ingredients and set them aside at room temperature. This can be made ahead of time, even up to 2 days. Just keep the sauce in an air-tight container. No need to refrigerate.
SECOND, Cook the Tortellini:
- Bring a large saucepot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to boiling water. Add the cheese tortellini. When they float to the top, they only need to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes to be al-dente.
- Drain, and run them under cool water immediately to help stop the cooking process. Drain well.
- Transfer tortellini to a large serving bowl.
- Add in steamed broccoli, garlic, sundried tomato, and olive oil sauce. Toss gently until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. The pasta salad should be moist and coated lightly. You may add more or less sauce to your liking. Keep in mind if you think you need to drizzle some more extra-virgin olive oil, you may do so since pasta tends to absorb the olive oil quickly. Toss some freshly chopped parsley of basil.
- Serve at room temperature. Or chilled, if you prefer.
- Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 to 10 servings Serving Size: 1 serving (1 cup)Amount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 2.2gCholesterol: 13mgCarbohydrates: 15.7gFiber: .6gSugar: 1.4gProtein: 4.9g
Happy Family Meals! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by…
xo anna and liz
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We love broccoli in this house! I have made a salad with it before, so this sounds tasty. I like the addition of sundried tomatoes and garlic.
cheers
Thank you so much, Sherry. This salad is a winner! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
This is a delicious salad as written, but tonight I added 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts to the tortellini/broccoli mixture and some julienned basil to the dressing. I also used some of the sundried tomato oil along with olive oil for additional flavor.
That sounds fantastic! We love pine nuts, but cannot use them in our recipes since we now have family members who are extremely allergic to all nuts. But so glad you added them to our salad. Thanks so much!
Beautiful salad! This would be perfect for summer potluck dinners at church. Can't wait to try it! We haven't gotten to eighty degrees yet, but it's right around the corner, I hope! 🙂
Thank you Betty we hope your friends and family will enjoy this one as much as we do. Have a great week! Hope it warms up for you too.:)
Ooo that sauce does sound delicious! I bet this will be even better once the weather gets warmer – perfect with a side of bbq!
Yes Jo – I make this one all summer long – its so quick to whip up and everyone enjoys it every time!
Thanks for stopping by!
Very beautiful pasta salad, looks delicious!! We do one similar to your recipe, we also add other black olives, cherry tomatoes, etc… I could eat a bowl of your salad right now for lunch!! 🙂
yes ! that's how my husband – the Sicilian side – makes this salad too! Thanks Mike for stopping by!
Absolutely beautiful! I love pasta salads and the lightly steamed broccoli just sings in a dish like this. Lovely – hope you are getting better weather – sorry I missed this one last year!
You are so sweet Tricia! We are having great weather today – its 80 degrees! Unbelievable! after all the cold we've had in the past few weeks. Take care!
This is a salad my family would love!
Awesome post .i hope everybody will like your post
I'll be pinning this one to try this summer! How beautiful it looks and I love the sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes – yum!
Such a clever idea – and so scrumptious!Mary
You have a very smart daughter! This looks fabulous and I haven't had tortellinis in a long time!