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    Home » Pasta

    Tortellini Pasta Salad with Bacon, Broccoli & Basil Recipe

    Published: Jun 14, 2011 · Modified: Mar 30, 2021 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 53 Comments

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    Tortellini-Pasta-Salad-with-Bacon-Broccoli-&-Basil-Recipe

    One of the first things I made on my own after leaving the comfort of my parents' kitchen was my mum's pasta salad. Growing up, it was a staple on the patio table during the summertime. Bowtie pasta, salmon, capers and red bell peppers, tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing, made up the salad that I could not stop poking my fork into, even long after the leftovers had been covered up and tucked away in the fridge. After I met my husband, things changed a little. You see, I married a man with a strong aversion to all-things-mayo. So, I had to get a little creative and started playing around with vinaigrette dressings and mixing up the flavors by using ingredients such as tortellini.

    This recipe makes up for the absence of a creamy dressing with little effort. You see, there is bacon involved...and bacon cures all that ails you. Well, that's what I tell myself as I scarf down the fourth piece with my stack of whole wheat waffles. Not only is crispy bacon sprinkled over the top of this salad, but some of the drippings are used to saute the broccoli florets. Lightened with a lemon juice and white wine vinegar dressing and filled with the aroma of a basil plant warmed by the sun, this is a dish that would be welcome at any backyard barbecue. Serve it as an entree or side dish.

    The recipe:

    Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Drain again. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

    In a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat, cook bacon until crunchy. Set aside on a piece of paper towel to drain. When cool, crumble the bacon (not too small) and reserve.

    TortelliniPSalad1

    Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease from the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the broccoli florets. Saute until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into tortellini.

    Vinaigrette:
    In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. While whisking constantly, slow pour in olive oil until combined.

    TortelliniPSalad2

    Pour the vinaigrette over the tortellini and gently toss. Stir the basil into the pasta salad. Serve.

    Tortellini Pasta Salad with Bacon, Broccoli & Basil Recipe

    Tortellini pasta salad is made for picnics and backyard barbecues. This one is packed with bacon, broccoli and fresh basil.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta, Salads, Side Dishes
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Picnic Recipes, Potluck Recipes
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 3093kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces cheese tortellini
    • 6 slices bacon
    • 4 cups broccoli florets

    The Vinaigrette:

    • ¼ cup white wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1 ½ teaspoons honey
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 6 large basil leaves chiffonaded (rolled and thinly sliced)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water. Drain again. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
    • In a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat, cook bacon until crunchy. Set aside on a piece of paper towel to drain. When cool, crumble the bacon (not too small) and reserve.
    • Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease from the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the broccoli florets. Saute until the broccoli is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir into tortellini.

    The Vinaigrette:

    • In a medium bowl, whisk together white wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. While whisking constantly, slow pour in olive oil until combined.
    • Pour the vinaigrette over the tortellini and gently toss. Stir the basil into the pasta salad. Serve.

    Notes

    From the kitchen of Cookin' Canuck | cookincanuck.com

    Nutrition

    Calories: 3093kcal | Carbohydrates: 234g | Protein: 96g | Fat: 200g | Saturated Fat: 45g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 5296mg | Potassium: 1412mg | Fiber: 27g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2395IU | Vitamin C: 336.3mg | Calcium: 813mg | Iron: 15.6mg
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    Disclosure: This post contains links to my Amazon affiliate page. Any revenue made from sales through these links helps to support this blog. Thank you!

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Danielle

        March 05, 2012 at 3:49 pm

        I searched google for broccoli pasta salad sans mayo. It's like you read my mind. This is exactly what I wanted. The vinaigrette, BACON... everything is perfect. Thank you for a new recipe staple for my husband and picky me.

        Reply
      2. Nichol

        June 22, 2011 at 6:05 am

        Ahhh this is a beautiful summer dish. I am always looking for new pasta salad recipes since my family calls me the salad girl when we go to outings!

        Reply
      3. amanda

        June 20, 2011 at 12:49 pm

        I tried this salad over the weekend and YOWSERS--it's awesome! This is my new go-to summer salad recipe.

        Reply
      4. Sandra

        June 19, 2011 at 7:18 pm

        Bacon, Broccoli & Basil say that 10 times fast! Your dressing is a great mayo alternative and everything IS better with bacon.

        Reply
      5. April @ Girl Gone Gourmet

        June 17, 2011 at 6:33 pm

        The best salads are the ones that keep calling out to you from the fridge and this one sounds like it fits the bill! Of course, you always have such great recipes so I'm not surprised 🙂

        Reply
      6. RavieNomNoms

        June 17, 2011 at 11:03 am

        YUM!!! I love this pasta salad! That is definitely something I would like. I am not normally a fan of pasta salads but that looks amazing!

        Reply
      7. KalynsKitchen

        June 16, 2011 at 8:07 pm

        With tortellini, broccoli, and bacon, how can this not be good. (My condolences on the mayo-aversion. And he seems like such a nice guy!)

        Reply
      8. marla

        June 16, 2011 at 8:05 pm

        Dara, I am with your hubs on the vinaigrette thing. Although I like mayo...one of my all time favorite tortellini pasta salads is just like yours. This is a great side for those summer BBQ's 🙂

        Reply
      9. Katrina

        June 16, 2011 at 5:42 pm

        Yum! Looks really good and I love the addition of bacon--who wouldn't? 😉

        Reply
      10. Drick

        June 16, 2011 at 1:47 pm

        Dara that salad looks so good, I have been making a few lately (got one coming up) but most I use mayo as a base... vinegar would be a nice change

        Reply
      11. Kate@Diethood

        June 16, 2011 at 1:42 pm

        So so so soooo pretty! I can't say that enough. It's simple, it's beautiful, it's delicious. Love it!

        Reply
      12. Emily @Cleanliness

        June 16, 2011 at 12:41 pm

        Oh, how you rock my world!

        Reply
      13. Dan

        June 16, 2011 at 12:13 pm

        I've never seen tortellini in a cold pasta salad before. What a great idea!

        Reply
      14. Belinda @zomppa

        June 16, 2011 at 12:11 pm

        What a lovely, simple, combination!

        Reply
      15. Squash Blossom Babies

        June 16, 2011 at 11:48 am

        Oh, this looks wonderful!!! I'm going to try to leave the bacon out but I have a feeling that is the best part!! 🙂

        Reply
      16. Vicki @ WITK

        June 16, 2011 at 11:25 am

        What? Who doesn't like mayo? Crazy people 🙂 Great looking mayo-free pasta salad, it would be perfect for an outdoor picnic!

        Reply
      17. Beverly

        June 16, 2011 at 10:53 am

        love this, with it being so hot here, it is a recipe that will not heat up my kitchen any more than I have to .

        Reply
      18. Brooks at Cakewalker

        June 16, 2011 at 10:51 am

        All my favorites are represented here: pasta, BACON, basil and a vegetable...all dressed in a snazzy vinaigrette! You keep batting 'em out of the ballpark Dara. Way to go!

        Reply
      19. Kristina @ spabettie

        June 16, 2011 at 10:45 am

        you had me at bacon. and basil. and broccoli!

        this is beautiful!

        Reply
      20. Tracy

        June 16, 2011 at 10:25 am

        I love this recipe, as I'm with your husband and have a bit of an aversion to mayo. Can't wait to make this for our next bbq!

        Reply
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