Panzanella Tortellini Pasta Salad

overhead shot of Panzanella tortellini salad in large white dish on marble background

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

The classic Panzanella Salad made even more hearty and delicious by using tortellini!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Resting Time30

Total Time40

Course: Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3 / $4

Equipment

Large Mixing bowl & Whisk
Large Pot & Colander
Large Baking Tray
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board

Ingredients

500g / 1lb Beef Tomatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces (see notes)
500g / 1lb Tortellini (see notes)
225g / 8oz Sourdough, diced into bite-sized pieces
7 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 small bunch of Fresh Basil, roughly diced (1oz/30g)
1.5 tbsp Capers, drained
2 Shallots, very finely diced
2 small cloves of Garlic, very finely diced
1/2 tsp Salt
1/8 - 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers, shallots, garlic and black pepper.
Place a colander on top and add the tomatoes. Coat in 1/2 tsp salt and leave to drip for 20 minutes, tossing every now and then to encourage the tomatoes to leak.
During this time add the bread to a large baking tray and toss in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven for around 12 minutes, or until light golden and crunchy. Allow the croutons to cool.
Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water (take a minute or so off the packet timings). Drain and gently toss in cold water until completely cool.
Remove the tomatoes and whisk the tomato juice with the dressing until well combined. Add in the tomatoes, tortellini, croutons & basil and toss to combine. Leave for 10 minutes, tossing a few times, until the croutons soak in the dressing. They should soften slightly but still have a little crunch.
Serve right away then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Tomatoes - I like using Beef Tomatoes (/Beefsteak Tomatoes) because they hold up really well in this recipe. You can also dice them up really nicely into big rustic chunks. In reality though you can use most types of tomatoes. Just try and get them as fresh/ripe as possible!

b) Tortellini - I always use cheese-filled tortellini for this recipe. You could experiment with other fillings, but for the first go, I recommend cheese tortellini.

c) Bread - You need something sturdy like Sourdough in order to soak in the dressing without going mushy. Ciabatta also works well. Soft sandwich bread is not suitable for this recipe.

d) Soaking - Drier, crunchier croutons will be able to soak in more dressing before they soften. The amount they soak is also down to preference. I like around 10 minutes or so, just enough for the tortellini and bread to soak in the dressing without it all becoming too soft.

e) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 (big portions!)

Nutrition