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Our Tortellini Pasta Salad is the ultimate 30-minute dish loaded with fresh veggies, black beans, avocado, and a simple homemade dressing. I love to make it as a light main dish or a potluck side.
Tortellini Pasta Salad always disappears fast.
This Tortellini Pasta Salad is quick, easy, packed with fresh ingredients, and works as both a main dish with some grilled chicken or as a side dish.
My biggest tip for this recipe, is to use good quality tortellini – it is the star after-all! The dry packaged kind will work, but the refrigerated kind cooks in just a few minutes and taste so much better!
Try more of my pasta salads, like Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, Orzo Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Cold Noodle Salad, and Street Corn Pasta Salad!
How to make Tortellini Pasta Salad:
Prep Ingredients: Cook tortellini according to package instructions then drain and rinse with cold water. Combine all dressing ingredients in a resealable jar and shake to combined.
Combine: In a large bowl, dump in cooked corn, black beans, bell pepper, avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing on top (go slow, you may not want it all) and toss everything to coat it.
If you love this recipe, try my Creamy Tomato Tortellini, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Pesto Tortellini, and Vegetable Tortellini Soup!
Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 ounce package three cheese refrigerated tortellini
- 1 cup corn, , fresh cooked, canned or frozen
- 15 ounce can black beans, , drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 avocado, , peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, , halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, , chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, , chopped
Dressing:
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- juice from 2 limes
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, , minced
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.20 ounce package three cheese refrigerated tortellini
- Add tortellini to a large bowl. Add cooked corn, black beans, bell pepper, avocado, cherry tomatoes, onion, and cilantro.1 cup corn, 15 ounce can black beans, 1 red bell pepper, 1 avocado, 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a resealable jar. Shake until combined. Pour desired amount of dressing (you may not want to use it all) over the pasta and toss to coat.3 Tablespoons olive oil, juice from 2 limes, 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, salt and freshly ground black pepper
Notes
- Add protein: grilled chicken, tofu, shrimp or steak.
- Substitute what you already have! Use your favorite kind of beans, and incorporate other veggies you like or already have on hand.
- Adjust Spice: add some hot sauce to the dressing, to turn up the heat.
- Dressing: if you don't want to make it from scratch (sigh!) you can add your favorite store-bought zesty southwest or Italian.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe February 2017. Updated April 2021 and May 2026.
So easy and so, so good. Love that it’s a different take on pasta salad.
Will be trying this, this weekend! I like how it’s more Mexican style due to the avacado, black bean,and corn and cilantro. That part is almost the same as a black bean and corn salsa recipe that is good with anything! Thank you!
Fell in love with this recipe! Such a tasty dish. Easy to make with a bunch of leftovers making my life so much easier.
Thank you
Another winner!! I made this pasta salad yesterday and it was delish. Your recipes are spot on!
I made this as a warm dish – I didn’t rinse the tortellini with cold water and I heated the corn and black beans, it was delicious and very filling!!
The amount of salt/pepper is “to taste” for dressing mix… what is a good starting point?
Thank you for yet another fast, family friendly meal. I love that it’s fast to throw together, it’s loaded with veggies, and the whole family loves it. What’s not to love?!
This is really really great! I super love this! Thank you so much for sharing this 🙂
We’re in love with his dish!!! It’s outstanding!!! I added lemon juice at the end and tortilla chips to top it off. The dressing was excellent!!!
Thank you for this great and easy recipe!!!
Can this be made ahead and served chilled?
Yes, but the longer it sits the drier it will be as the pasta absorbs the dressing.
Instead of keeping the pasta separate from all the toppings, can I mix it all together refrigerate and then add the dressing at dinner time?
Yes sure!