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

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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.

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5 from 1 vote

Fall Tortellini Pasta Salad

Name: Fall Tortellini Pasta Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
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); 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

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:

Cost: 30

Equipment

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.

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