Make Ahead Mexican Tortellini Pasta Salad | Sip Bite Go
Do you love flavors like lime and fresh cilantro? This make ahead Mexican tortellini pasta salad has all that, plus crunchy vegetables and black beans. It’s an easy pasta salad with cheese tortellini from Trader Joe’s that hits the spot for work from home lunches and can be made ahead for potlucks. So let’s jump in and make this Mexican tortellini salad. It is so good.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Finishing Time5 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Make ahead Mexican pasta salad, Make ahead Mexican tortellini pasta salad, mexican pasta salad recipe, Mexican tortellini pasta salad
Cook cheese tortellini pasta as directed, to al dente. Usuallytortellini is done cooking when it floats in the pasta water. Drain and tosswith olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Set aside.
Make the cilantro lime dressing. Add olive oil and minced garlic to a small pan on the stove on medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly for 1-2 minutes. When garlic is translucent, and before it browns, take the garlic off the heat and set it aside to cool.
In a bowl, add the garlic olive oil, lime juice, champagne vinegar, chili powder, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk together to blend completely, add fresh chopped cilantro, then whisk together one last time. Set aside.
Mix together the cooked tortellini, the rest of the salad ingredients, and the dressing in a large bowl. Serve immediately or chill until serving.
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Notes
Corn - Use frozen corn in this recipe without defrosting it if your Mexican tortellini pasta salad will be left in the fridge for 5+ hours before serving. Otherwise, thaw corn so it is ready to eat in the salad immediately.
Garlic - I prefer to roast garlic in olive oil for pasta salad because it has a deeper flavor and is not bitter this way. But you can use fresh garlic or sprinkle ¼-1/2 tsp garlic powder in the dressing instead.
Cheese - Top with cheddar cheese or a Mexican cheese blend, if desired.
Pasta salad tastes best if consumed within 1-2 days.