{"id":43173,"date":"2021-12-31T09:45:30","date_gmt":"2021-12-31T14:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themediterraneandish.com\/?p=43173"},"modified":"2021-12-31T11:27:04","modified_gmt":"2021-12-31T16:27:04","slug":"spinach-tortellini-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themediterraneandish.com\/spinach-tortellini-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"Loaded Spinach Tortellini Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Easy Spinach Tortellini Salad<\/strong>, loaded with with fresh herbs, tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives, and tossed in a simple homemade Italian dressing. Perfect for a little party, or serve it as a side next to chicken<\/a> or fish<\/a>. Leftovers will make a great lunch the next day! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Close-up<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An easy Mediterranean tortellini pasta salad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This spinach tortellini salad is one of my favorites because it’s quick and easy to assemble and the leftovers are perfect for lunch the next day! In this recipe, the delicious ricotta-filled pasta is combined with baby spinach, fresh herbs and vegetables, along with other Mediterranean favorites like mozzarella cheese, olives and sundried tomatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love making my own salad dressings, and since pasta salad is loaded with delicious flavors, a simple homemade Italian dressing is the perfect choice here. The dressing is light and bright made with good Italian extra virgin olive oil<\/a> and citrus with oregano and fresh thyme. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I kept this salad vegetarian but if you wanted to stir in some meat, go for it – especially if you’ll be serving this as a meal on its own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Overhead<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tortelloni vs. tortellini<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s easy to confuse these two delicious pastas but there is a difference between tortelloni and tortellini. They are both ring-shaped pastas that are stuffed. There is a difference in the traditional fillings used and in the pasta size. Tortelloni are larger in size and are traditionally stuffed with vegetarian ingredients, vs. tortellini which are traditionally stuffed with a meat filling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this vegetarian recipe I used ricotta-stuffed pasta, which you can find in the fridge section at the grocery store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients for this tortellini salad recipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both the salad and the homemade Italian dressing require just a handful of ingredients!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the salad<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n