Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad
I’ve got a delightful pasta salad recipe for you today! Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad is a fabulous take on pasta salad that is just wonderful. This one starts with cheese tortellini. Then you add bell pepper, green onions, olives, pepperoni, matchsticks carrots, grape tomatoes and herbed feta cheese before adding a zesty Italian dressing. It’s a terrific make-ahead salad that’s great for potlucks, family reunions, backyard barbecues or grilling out with friends.
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It’s still pretty hot here in Texas so we still enjoy having cold salads like this to serve with sandwiches, hamburgers or even steaks. But as it happened, I was recruited to make a few goodies for a youth fellowship at our church. One of the families was grilling hamburgers and asked for others to make sides. I decided to make this salad along with some cookies. I have to admit, I thought this turned out extremely well.
Most of you who follow my blog know that I try a LOT of new recipes. Some recipes are definitely better than others. Many I can change or add ingredients to on the fly so they turn out better than the original recipe. I have remade hundreds of other recipes because they included ingredients we don’t like or because I know the outcome wouldn’t be quite as nice as I would like. Rarely do I find a recipe that I keep just the way it is. This is one of those recipes that has a great starting point, but I chose to embellish it a little more.
I didn’t blanch the broccoli before using it. We prefer it raw and chunky. I added pepperoni, olives and bell pepper. I ended up using a feta cheese with garlic and herbs that also bumped up the flavors in the salad. Then I used a zesty Italian dressing rather than regular to amp up the flavors. I thought the taste and texture turned out fantastic. In fact, it was so good that this is one of those recipes that I will make frequently in the future.
If you’re looking for a terrific salad to make for company or even family dinners (whether you live in a hot climate like us, or not), give this delectable Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad a try sometime. It certainly is refreshing and delicious.
Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad is a delightful salad for potlucks, backyard BBQs or family reunions.
This is also a great pasta salad to dig into for tailgating parties.
This salad is filled with cheese tortellini, broccoli, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, olives, pepperoni and feta cheese.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients for the salad.
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Place tortellini in a large salad bowl.
Add halved grape tomatoes, broccoli florets, diced green onion, bell pepper and matchsticks carrots.
Add sliced olives, quartered pepperoni slices and feta cheese with herbs.
Add part of the zesty Italian dressing.
Stir ingredients to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add additional zesty Italian dressing and, if desired, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
This pasta salad is actually pretty hearty and filling. It’s great for lunches, too.
Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad is a great salad to serve company–especially when you’re having friends over for a backyard barbecue.
Here’s the recipe.
FETA CHEESE PASTA PRIMAVERA SALAD
(Recipe inspired from What’s Cooking America?)
Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad
Equipment
- 1 large salad bowl with tongs
- 1 large stock pot with lid
- 1 colander to drain pasta
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
Ingredients
- 19 oz. pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 head broccoli crowns cut into florets
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 dry pint grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1 cup matchsticks carrots
- 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs
- 1-2 cups prepared zesty Italian dressing
- 2.25 oz. can sliced ripe olives drained
- 4 oz. sliced pepperoni quartered or mini pepperoni slices
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
- Prepare tortellini according to package directions; rinse and drain in cold water.
- Place tortellini in a large bowl.
- Add broccoli, tomatoes, matchsticks carrots, feta cheese, olives, bell pepper, pepperoni pieces, green onions and one cup Italian salad dressing.
- Stir gently until blended.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If necessary, add additional salad dressing if all the dressing has absorbed into the tortellini and veggies.
- If desired, sprinkle top of salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish.
Notes
Nutrition
If you enjoy pasta salad recipes, you’ll love this Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad
The Feta cheese with herbs and the zesty Italian dressing really increase the flavor of this salad.
It’s time to try a bite. 🙂
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Feta Cheese Pasta Primavera Salad
Equipment
- 1 large salad bowl with tongs
- 1 large stock pot with lid
- 1 colander to drain pasta
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 sharp knife to cut vegetables
Ingredients
- 19 oz. pkg. refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 head broccoli crowns cut into florets
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 dry pint grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 1 cup matchsticks carrots
- 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs
- 1-2 cups prepared zesty Italian dressing
- 2.25 oz. can sliced ripe olives drained
- 4 oz. sliced pepperoni quartered or mini pepperoni slices
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired
Instructions
- Prepare tortellini according to package directions; rinse and drain in cold water.
- Place tortellini in a large bowl.
- Add broccoli, tomatoes, matchsticks carrots, feta cheese, olives, bell pepper, pepperoni pieces, green onions and one cup Italian salad dressing.
- Stir gently until blended.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- If necessary, add additional salad dressing if all the dressing has absorbed into the tortellini and veggies.
- If desired, sprinkle top of salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese for garnish.