Cold Tortellini Salad
A creamy, crunchy pasta salad loaded with cheese tortellini, crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, and ranch dressing for an easy crowd-pleasing side dish.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 277kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large romaine lettuce head chopped into bite-size pieces
- 20 ounce bag cheese tortellini prepared according to package directions and cooled
- 4 ounces bacon cut into small pieces and cooked until crispy, drain fat
- ½ cup halved grape tomatoes
- ½ cup ranch dressing
Instructions
- In a 9x13-inch dish, place lettuce in the bottom and top with sliced tomatoes.
- layer the prepared tortellini on top of the tomatoes.
- Drizzle ranch dressing over top followed by bacon bits.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Cook tortellini just until al dente: Be sure not to overcook your pasta to prevent it from getting mushy in the salad.
- Wait to add ingredients: If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, keep the bacon and ranch dressing separate right until you serve to keep the salad crisp and fresh.
- Let bacon cool completely before adding it: This helps it stay crispy instead of softening in the salad.
- Cool the tortellini completely before assembling: Warm tortellini can wilt the lettuce and make the salad soggy.
- Dry lettuce thoroughly: Be sure your romaine is completely dry after washing so excess moisture doesn’t water down the salad.
- Serve right after assembling: This salad tastes best when the lettuce is crisp, the bacon is crunchy, and the dressing is freshly added.
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg