Recipe updated: April 12th, 2024
Loaded with fresh ingredients, brilliant colors, and bursting with fresh flavors, this summer tortellini salad with roasted corn salsa tastes so incredibly delicious, that it feels like a guilt-free indulgence. It’s especially delightful on hot summer days, or any day of the week for that matter.
This easy pasta salad is a perfect side dish for many meals or for a fantastic brunch, lunch, or dinner meal alongside garlic bread or hot buttered biscuits. It can also be served with these delicious hamburgers on a bun.
🍽️ Key Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) tortellini tricolor with cheese filling
- 1 can of black beans – 15.25 ounces
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (in water)
- Roasted corn salsa (a short version of the recipe is below)
A photo of a container of shredded Parmesan cheese, which we will need 1/2 cup later in steps 5 and 6.
👩🍳 How to Make Summer Tortellini Salad with Corn Salsa
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Drain the Black Beans
Put one can of black beans (15.25 ounce) into a colander over the sink. Let the liquid drain out of the beans for a few minutes. We didn’t rinse the black beans, but if you want to, go ahead and give them a rinse under cold water.
Step 2. Add the Olive Oil and Minced Garlic
Put the black beans in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic together with the black beans. Stir up the mixture until well blended.
Step 3. Prepare the Tortellini then Mix with Beans
Cook the 16 ounces (one pound) of tortellini tricolor with cheese filling in water according to the package directions. As the tortellini cooks in the water, give it a couple of stirs. Then, in a colander, drain the water out of the tortellini. Add the tortellini to the bowl together with the black beans, olive oil, and minced garlic. Mix until well blended.
Step 4. Blend in the Roasted Corn Salsa
Visit our post on roasted corn salsa for the full recipe with detailed instructions and photos. Or, you can just read the shorter version below.
Roasted Corn Salsa Recipe
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1 can whole kernel corn (15.25 ounces)
- 3/4 cup red onion – chopped
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 jalapeño (remove some seeds, then chop)
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Roast one 15.25-ounce can of whole kernel corn in a frying pan on medium-high heat, together with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir while roasting the corn. After a few minutes of frying, turn the burner down to medium heat and continue to roast the corn until slightly browned. Takes approximately 10 minutes to brown. Set aside to cool. You can use fresh corn off the cob if you prefer.
In a medium-sized bowl, add the roasted corn together with the chopped red onion, chopped jalapeños, cherry tomatoes cut in half, table salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Stir the salsa until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
After you have made the roasted corn salsa, add it to the bowl together with the tortellini mixture. Mix it all up until well blended.
Step 5. Measure the Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Measure 1/2 cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese. If you would like a bit more of the Parmesan cheese in your tortellini pasta salad, you can certainly add more than half of a cup.
Step 6. Sprinkle the Tortellini Pasta Salad with Shredded Parmesan Cheese
The last step is to sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese together with the tortellini mixture. Mix until well blended.
⭐️ Recipe Variations for Tortellini Salad with Corn Salsa
- For some extra crunch, dice some bell peppers such as yellow, green, or red peppers and add them to this delicious salad.
- Sprinkle a little bit of shredded mozzarella cheese or feta cheese on this fresh tortellini summer pasta salad right before serving.
- Toss any of your favorite fresh herbs on your serving, such as fresh basil, fresh cut-up cilantro, finely chopped chives, or fresh chopped parsley.
- You can add any fresh vegetables to this recipe from your garden or from a farmers market.
- If you want your serving to be spicy hot, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes.
- Throw on some sun-dried tomatoes.
🙋 FAQs
Yes, you can make tortellini salad ahead of time. When making tortellini pasta salad ahead of time, it should be properly stored in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator. A mason jar with a lid works great to store this easy tortellini salad. Tortellini salad can last about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. However, after a few days, if it starts to smell or look funny, don’t eat it.
Yes, you can freeze tortellini salad in the freezer for a couple of months, but it’s not advisable. Be aware that certain foods in tortellini salad may not stand up well in the freezer, for example, tomatoes or onions can become mushy.
Cooked tortellini pasta mixed with veggies lasts about 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. However, after the first couple of days in the refrigerator, the tortellini salad can start to lose quality quicker. Always look at it and smell it to make sure it is safe to eat. This pasta salad with corn salsa tastes best the day it is made, and also the next day. For the best results, eat it within a couple of days.
💭 Final Thoughts
The flavor of this tortellini salad recipe is brought to life by the harmonious blend of minced garlic and roasted corn salsa, with the rich flavor of black beans and the delightful tricolored cheese tortellini playing starring roles. To elevate the dish further, a generous sprinkling of shredded Parmesan cheese is artfully incorporated throughout the pasta salad.
You can serve this easy tortellini pasta salad as your main dish along with steamed broccoli, breadsticks, or sandwiches, or as a side dish to baked chicken, or baked salmon. It’s also a great side dish for summer potlucks and summer BBQs.
📂 Recipe Card
Summer Tortellini Salad with Corn Salsa
🫕 Equipment
🧂 Ingredients
Tortellini Pasta Salad
- 1 lb tortellini (tricolor with cheese filling)
- 1 can black beans (15.25 ounces)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
Roasted Corn Salsa
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1 can whole kernel corn (15.25 ounces)
- 3/4 cup red onion – chopped
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 jalapeño (remove some seeds, then chop)
- 1/8 tsp table salt
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
👩🍳 Instructions
Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Drain the liquid from the can of black beans. Put into a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the olive oil and minced garlic to the black beans. Stir the mixture until well blended.
- Cook the tortellini pasta in water according to the instructions on the back of the package. Drain the water out of the tortellini.
- Add the tortellini to the bowl with the black beans, olive oil, and minced garlic. Mix until well blended.
Roasted Corn Salsa
- Roast the can of corn in a frying pan on medium-high heat with the olive oil. Stir while roasting the corn. Turn the burner down to medium after a few minutes. Continue to roast the corn until slightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the roasted corn and the red onion, jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate if not ready to use yet.
Mix Tortellini Pasta Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa
- Add the roasted corn salsa to the bowl with the tortellini mixture. Mix it all up until well blended.
- Sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese on the tortellini mixture. Mix until well blended.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- Visit our post on roasted corn salsa for the full recipe with detailed instructions and photos.
- Garlic bread, chicken, grilled steak, or steamed broccoli are excellent dishes to serve with this tortellini pasta salad with roasted corn salsa.
🥰 More Recipes You Will Love
- For another amazing meal, try these easy-to-make and so delicious steak kabobs marinade, made especially for grilling at your next BBQ.
- This Korean style round beef recipe is amazing, especially served over a bed of rice or shredded lettuce.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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