• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Sarah's Bites
  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Affiliate Disclosures
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
  • Cookin’ With Cosmo
  • Vintage Pyrex
  • Dinner
  • Apps & Small Bites
  • Desserts
  • Sides
  • Soups
  • Sauces & Seasonings
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
Home » Sides » Fall Tortellini Pasta Salad

Fall Tortellini Pasta Salad

November 5, 2022 | Last updated November 5, 2022

Share
Pin
Yum
Tweet
Share
Email
0 Shares

This tortellini pasta salad with fresh seasonal vegetables, cranberries, and a dijon maple dressing is the perfect side dish for fall potlucks!

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. I receive compensation from purchases made through affiliate links (more information).

Bowl of pasta salad with tortellini, vegetables, and cranberries on a kitchen counter.

I love this pasta salad because it has hints of fall. Broccoli, carrots, and brussels sprouts are all seasonal fall veggies. The maple syrup and cranberries add some sweeter fall flavors to balance the tang of the apple cider vinegar and dijon mustard. If you love pasta salad as much as I do, check out my list of 30 pasta salad recipes. Want to learn more about seasonal vegetables and fruits? See this Fall Produce Guide from Feel Good Foodie.

Make-Ahead Tips

You can make this pasta salad up to a day ahead of time, but the pasta salad will absorb the dressing. If you’re making this ahead of time, I recommend making a half portion of the dressing to use on the salad in advance. Then dress the salad with a full portion of the dressing right before serving.

Another option for making in advance is to prep all of the ingredients the day before, then cook the pasta and assemble the day of.

Tips for Leftovers

This pasta salad makes a great lunch dish. It will dry out a bit in the fridge, but I’ve successfully kept it for lunches for about 4 days. I recommend making an extra half to full serving of the dressing to keep in the fridge. Whisk the dressing right before serving, and add enough dressing so the salad is no longer dry. How much to add can be a matter of personal preference.

Recipe Variations

You can add chopped pecans or walnuts to this recipe (quarter or half cup recommended), but I usually omit these when I’m brining the salad to a group event in case someone has a nut allergy. Some chopped cooked bacon would also add some more robust flavor to the salad.

Make it vegetarian: Just omit the chicken!

Make it vegan: Use a pasta without a cheese filling, such as rotini, and omit the chicken.

Bowl of pasta salad on a kitchen counter next to a wooden spoon, a small jar of dressing, a crock of salt, and a pepper grinder.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Fall Tortellini Pasta Salad

This tortellini pasta salad with fresh vegetables, cranberries, and dijon maple dressing is the perfect side dish for fall potlucks!
Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cold side dish, pasta salad, potluck recipe, potluck side
Servings: 10
Cost: 30

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Grater
  • Large pot
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked chicken (one store-bought rotisserie)
  • 2 packages cheese tortellini (Two 9 oz. packages. You can also use one 20 oz. package without adjusting other recipe proportions.)
  • ½ cup shaved brussels sprouts
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 1½ cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 1½ cups grated carrots
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ tsp kosher salt plus more to taste as needed
  • ¼ tsp black pepper plus more to taste as needed
Dressing
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp dried parsley
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ⅛ tsp celery seed

Instructions

  • Bring pasta water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare the veggies and set aside.
    ½ cup shaved brussels sprouts, 1 cup diced red onion, 1½ cups chopped broccoli florets, 1½ cups grated carrots
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and run under cold water to cool.
    2 packages cheese tortellini
  • Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing while the pasta is cooling.
    ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp maple syrup, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp oregano, ⅛ tsp celery seed
  • Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl after it's cooled completely. Add vegetables, chicken, and cranberries. Stir to distribute the ingredients.
    2 to 3 cups chopped cooked chicken, ½ cup dried cranberries
  • Add dressing and stir until well-coated. Season with salt and pepper, adding more as needed based on preference. Chill until serving.
    ½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp black pepper

Notes

OK to substitute 2 teaspoons Italian dressing mix or Italian seasoning instead of the individual seasonings in the dressing.
Bowl of pasta salad on a kitchen counter next to a wooden spoon, jar of dressing, crock of salt, and pepper grinder. Text over the image says Tortellini Fall Pasta Salad.
Fall Tortellini Pasta SaladFall Tortellini Pasta Salad

Related

Share
Pin
Yum
Tweet
Share
Email
0 Shares
Previous Post: « Parmesan & Chive Roasted Baby Potatoes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About

Hi, I’m Sarah! My blog features a diverse collection of recipes, from delicious quick and easy meals to more complex showstoppers, with the occasional disaster story mixed in. I include the disasters to keep things real, and so you can share a laugh and learn from my mistakes.

My blog also has  a section dedicated to my horse, Cosmo. Cookin’ With Cosmo features equestrian eats and homemade horse treats.

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Sarahsbites.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Currently Reading

Instagram

Spicy Honey Dijon Roasted Carrots 🥕🍯🌶 Only 6 ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes! Recipe link in bio. #carrots #recipe #food #dinner #weeknightdinner #feedfeed
These avocado toast bites feature creamy avocado, fresh mozzarella, smoked sea salt, and bright cherry tomatoes on top of toasted baguette. A fresh and simple avocado toast appetizer for your next party or brunch! 🥑 Recipe link in bio. #avocadotoast #appetizer #recipe #brunch
@realhousedogsofdc - one counter surfer and one tattle tale. The counter surfer enjoyed a lemon meringue cake. She still has some meringue on her shoulder. 😂 #foodblogger #foodblogdogs #countersurfer #noregrets
Red wine pot roast is a hearty winter staple in my kitchen! It features fall-apart beef with a slightly crispy sear. The braising liquid becomes a delicious sauce with added dimension from whole-grain mustard and rosemary. Recipe link in bio.
Herbs as roasted veggies are the stars of this hearty vegetable pot pie. It’s great as main dish or a side. 🥧 Recipe link in bio. #recipe #potpie #vegetarian #vintagepyrex
Blackberry Cucumber Martinis at @harvest_thyme_tavern last night! #maryland #cocktail #drinkmaryland #eatlocal

Tags

10 ingredients or less 30 minutes or less appetizer basil beef bell pepper blender breakfast brown sugar butter canned tomatoes carrots celery cheddar cheese cheese chicken chili powder chipotles in adobo chocolate cinnamon corn crock pot cumin dessert dutch oven easy garlic garlic powder heavy cream kitchenaid mixer le creuset le creuset dutch oven leftovers low-cost meals make ahead onion paprika parmesan parsley party pasta potatoes potluck roundup salsa side slow cooker soup sour cream stand mixer tastefully simple thyme tomato tomatoes vanilla vegetable stock vegetarian vintage pyrex Vitamix weeknight cooking

Copyright © 2023 Sarah's Bites on the Foodie Pro Theme