Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

23 Comments

5 from 2 votes
12 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad is a quick, filling, and flavorful salad for summer cookouts with mozzarella and balsamic dressing.

Sabrina’s Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad

Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad is a dish you’d find in the deli section of your favorite fancy grocery store. But now you can follow this easy recipe to make it yourself!

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Dinner, then Dessert

Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad is a quick, filling, and flavorful salad for summer cookouts with mozzarella and balsamic dressing.
Yield 12 Servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Author Sabrina Snyder
Pasta salad with mozzarella and tomatoes topped with balsamic dressing
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Ingredients
 

  • 12 ounces cheese tortellini
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 chicken breasts , boneless and skinless
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 16 ounces grape tomatoes , cut in half
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella , ciliegine balls
  • 1/4 cup balsamic glaze

BALSAMIC DRESSING

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

  • Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to the jar and shake to combine.
  • Cook the tortellini as instructed on the packaging and let cool.
  • In a large skillet heat the canola oil on medium high heat.
  • Butterfly the chicken open  and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, do not move at all before the single flip to allow for a good crust to form.
  • Remove from pan, let cool and chop.
  • In a large bowl add the cooled tortellini, chicken, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and grape tomatoes.
  • Top with the balsamic dressing.
  • Toss together.
  • Add the mozzarella to the bowl and drizzle with balsamic glaze.
  • Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 477IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg

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About This Recipe

Lets be honest, you can find the dish on Ina’s cooking shows where she heads to her favorite Hampton’s food boutique, but it is actually totally easy to make. I’ve even included a few ingredient swaps for you to use if you’re pressed for time. A nice pairing for a summer spread is my 10 minute Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.

Chef’s Note: Balsamic Glaze

The balsamic glaze is a great finishing item and adds a lot of flavor to the dish but in a pinch you can skip it or make your own balsamic glaze if you can’t source one in your grocery store.

  • To make balsamic glaze yourself, add 2 cups balsamic vinegar and ½ cup brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until sugar has dissolved then bring to a boil.
  • Cook on low until the mixture is reduced to half the amount, about 15-20 minutes.
  • To check if it is done, dip a spoon into the pan, then run your finger over the spoon, you should leave a clean swipe in the spoon.
  • Let cool before using, then drizzle onto the pasta salad with a spoon.

Variations

  • Chicken: I call for cooking chicken, but you can use rotisserie or canned. The directions for cooking the chicken will ensure the delicious crispy crust on the chicken.
  • Basil: If you don’t have fresh basil, you can use 2 tablespoons of dried basil.
  • Pasta: If you don’t want to use tortellini, you can easily swap for rotini or bowtie pasta as well.

More Pasta Recipes

We LOVED this Chicken Caprese Tortellini Salad! With a homemade balsamic glaze and balsamic dressing.

Photos used in previous versions of the post:

Close up of pasta salad with title over top
Caprese salad in a bowl with title over top
Finished Italian pasta salad in a white serving bowl
Close up photo of tortellini pasta salad with balsamic glaze
Unmixed pasta salad ingredients in a metal bowl

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. I made this tonight using fresh, refrigerated tortellini, andstore bought balsamic glaze. I cut the chicken into small chunks, coated them with salt, pepper, dried oregano, onion and garlic powders. I then browned them in hot olive oil. I used fresh basil. The entire meal was ready to eat (warm) in under 20 minutes. Super easy and delicious.

    Reply

    1. I made this and it turned out amazing. I used the chicken and cheese tortellini instead of the chicken breast and added some fresh spinach. It got rave reviews from friends.

      Reply

  3. Chicken Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad.It is such an easy recipe and so delicious I really must try this recipe made it look so easy!Regardless, the recipe was awesome! Thanks so much!

    Reply

  8. Tortellini is my favorite! Thanks for this recipe, your pictures are great so I can only imagine how good this is!

    Reply

  9. Tortellini is one of my favorite grocery store convenience foods. This salad looks delicious!

    Reply

  12. Caprese…tortellini…I’m all over this one! I can’t wait to try this pasta salad! It looks so amazing!

    Reply

  13. I LOVE tortellini in a pasta salad. It adds so much. That dressing also sounds amazing!

    Reply