Hawaiian Tortellini Pasta Salad is a like a party in your mouth! It’s a blend of your favorite island flavors in a fabulously bright, sweet and tangy summer pasta salad. A simple recipe with an outstanding pineapple-ginger dressing, this will be a hit everywhere you take it.
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- ▢19 ounces frozen cheese tortellini, or fresh
- ▢2 orange bell peppers, cut into bite size pieces
- ▢1 English cucumber, cut into quarters and sliced
- ▢1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ▢16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- ▢2.5 cups diced ham
- ▢14 ounces pineapple tidbits, in 100% pineapple juice (reserve the juice)
Dressing
- ▢1/2 cup mayonnaise
- ▢1/2 cup sour cream
- ▢1/2 cup pineapple juice, reserved from the can of pineapple tidbits
- ▢1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ▢1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ▢1 teaspoon garlic paste , or fresh grated garlic
- ▢2 teaspoons ginger paste, or fresh grated ginger
- ▢1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain and set aside once cooked.
- Chop ham and vegetables and set aside. Reserve pineapple juice for the dressing. Set aside. Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.
- To a pint size mason jar, add dressing ingredients. Cover with lid and shake mason jar until dressing is combined. Pour dressing over salad and gently toss with salad tongs until well coated.
- Serve and enjoy.
NOTES
Salad is excellent the next day. If you like a lighter dressing coating make 1/2 of the dressing recipe. This gives it a nice and thick coating.
If you do not have ginger paste, you can use finely diced fresh ginger or ground ginger to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon).
This is a fantastic make ahead salad. When making ahead, use 1/2 of the dressing when preparing the salad. Reserve the remaining dressing to pour over the salad before you serve. This will keep the salad nice and creamy. If you use all of the dressing initially your pasta may soak up all the dressing.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1 | Calories: 451cal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 970mg | Sugar: 17g | Fiber: 5g | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg
