Shake up your salad routine with this tasty Tortellini Caesar Salad! This easy vegetarian recipe features tender cheese tortellini, crisp croutons, and juicy ripe tomatoes on a bed of fresh salad greens with flavorful caesar dressing.
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe forever now and I’m so excited to report that tossing tortellini and tomatoes into a plain ole Caesar salad is DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS, yo!
It’s basically a pasta salad… salad and a total upgrade from the usual.
You can use either frozen cheese tortellini or the fresh refrigerated kind. Both options are great. I actually love buying the refrigerated kind when it’s on sale and then freezing a few bags for later. They cook up super fast in boiling water and taste amazing!
You could even mix things up by using spinach tortellini or, if you’re enjoying a T-Rex diet, there are even spicy sausage tortellini, and chicken and herb varieties to play around with. Let your taste buds be your guide!
Caesar Salad Serving Suggestions
Take a cue from restaurants and serve your salad alongside a half (or whole!) sandwich or soup.
On the sandwich front, this tortellini Caesar salad would be amazing alongside a Garden Veggie Chickpea Salad Sandwich, a Spinach and Avocado Grilled Cheese sandwich, or even a T-Rex friendly BLT Pimento Cheese Sandwich.
For soups you can pair this pasta studded Caesar salad with a healthy bowl of Italian Lentil Soup, my famous restaurant-style Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or even Creamy Potato Soup.
As for the dressing, you can whip up my go-to Homemade Caesar Dressing Recipe or opt for your favorite store-bought dressing. Either way it will be totally tasty!
Same goes for the croutons. You can either make your own with the handy dandy recipe below or use a package of pre-made croutons for a speedy shortcut.
I like to add tomato to my salad for a burst of color and vitamins but you can 100% make this salad without it if needed.
Tortellini Caesar Salad
Feel free to halve the recipe if simply serving two or double it to serve a crowd! It’s crazy versatile.
Tortellini Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- 9 oz cheese tortellini , frozen or refrigerated
- 4-6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 tomato , chopped or diced
- fresh parmasan cheese for topping , optional
- 1/2-1 cup Caesar dressing , homemade or store-bought
HOMEMADE CROUTONS
- 2 cups diced bread (stale french baguette + ciabatta are my fav!) approx. 2-3 oz
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First make the croutons. This is a perfect way to use up older/stale bread. Preheat oven to 375°F. Add cubed bread to a bowl with oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well (using your hands works best to really work it into every piece) and spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake on the center rack for 12-16 minutes or until golden and crisp. Times will vary slightly based on type and staleness of bread.
- While the croutons cook, bring a small/medium pot of water to a boil and cook tortellini via package instructions. Approx 3 minutes for fresh and 4-5 min for frozen tortellini. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine romaine, tortellini, chopped tomatoes, and optional parmesan cheese. Just before serving, drizzle with dressing and mix well to coat pasta and veggies. Top with croutons and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More Tasty Tortellini Recipes
If you get a chance to try this tortellini caesar salad recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
This was great! I did use premade croutons though, and vegan caesar dressing (because of the anchovies, not because I am vegan!). It was superb!
Woot! So glad the salad was a hit. Thanks April!
I’m a vegetarian, thanks for sharing about Tortellini Caesar Salad! I’m going to try it.
Very yummy! We opted for store bought dressing for time wise. But the kids loved it and so did hubby!
Oh what a great idea for a twist on a classic salad! Love this idea, thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks Noelle!