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Cheese Tortellini Caesar Pasta Salad

Cheese tortellini Caesar pasta salad with chilled, creamy dressing and crisp romaine. Filled cheese tortellini is tossed with romaine, tomatoes, Parmesan, and a tangy Caesar-lemon coating, then topped with Parmesan and croutons for crunch.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 1 lb cheese tortellini
Romaine lettuce
  • 3 cup romaine lettuce chopped
Caesar dressing
  • 1 cup Caesar dressing
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Croutons
  • 1 cup croutons
Lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
  • Salt to taste
Pepper
  • pepper to taste

Method
 

Cook and cool the tortellini
  1. Cook cheese tortellini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water until no longer hot. Visual cue: pieces should separate and stop steaming.
Build the pasta salad
  1. Combine tortellini, chopped romaine, halved cherry tomatoes, and half the grated Parmesan in a large bowl. Visual cue: the Parmesan should be streaked throughout the mixture.
  2. Add Caesar dressing and lemon juice, then toss until everything is coated. Visual cue: romaine should look lightly glossy, not dry.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, mixing again to distribute evenly. Visual cue: the salad color should look consistent without dry spots.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld. Visual cue: it should look more cohesive after chilling.
  2. Top with the remaining Parmesan and croutons just before serving. Visual cue: croutons should stay crisp and not soften.

Notes

For best crunch, keep the croutons separate until serving; toss them in at the last minute so they don’t go soft in the creamy dressing. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the romaine texture changes. For a lighter option, use a reduced-fat Caesar dressing and swap in part-skim Parmesan.