Mom to Mom Nutrition

Katie Serbinski, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and millennial mom, blogging about healthy recipes, child and mom nutrition, and motherhood.

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Home » Food & Recipes » Main Dishes » Italian Pasta Salad

Italian Pasta Salad

Feb 4, 2016 1 Comment

A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fresh veggies, kid-friendly cheese tortellini, and prepared Italian dressing.

A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fresh veggies, kid-friendly cheese tortellini, and prepared Italian dressing.

There’s a reason you won’t find many leafy green salads on my blog. I’m one out of four in my house that enjoys them. While I preach to family and friends not to cater to your children [or husband] when it comes to food, truth be told I’ve never been one to routinely make a leafy green salad at home. Because the good registered dietitian in me wants to expose my kids [and husband] to all sorts of healthy foods, I was at a loss with what to do about green salads! When I was sharing this food conundrum with my friend Aggie, she gave a great suggestion: try pasta salad with the boys! I sort of had an a-ha moment and realized pasta is vehicle I use frequently to get them to try new foods. Why not try it with salad ingredients as well?!

A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fresh veggies, kid-friendly cheese tortellini, and prepared Italian dressing.

Italian pasta salad, like most foods I serve my family, has a little something for everyone. Joey and Anthony will of course eat the pasta, Ted loves the sopressata slices, and me? Well I’m selfish and love everything in this Italian pasta salad. And actually the boys will take some of the mozzarella and broccoli florets when I’m not looking. If they have an audience while eating most food ends up on the floor…

A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fresh veggies, kid-friendly cheese tortellini, and prepared Italian dressing.

I cheat when I make this pasta salad and use store-bought Italian dressing. Feel free to make your own vinaigrette [like the one I used in this kale caprese salad]. OR choose your favorite brand from the store. I typically look for a dressing that has minimal ingredients that are recognizable, and that is oil-based. Fat-free or low-fat versions tend to be higher in sodium and sugar as compared to full-fat versions, so choose and compare the nutrition labels wisely! Joey’s tip? Let the dressing sit on the salad for a few hours before serving. The broccoli gets nice and soft— easier for those toddlers to chew!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Italian Pasta Salad
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Author: Katie Serbinski
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 [16-ounce] package whole wheat cheese tortellini
  • ½ cup sopressata slices [or pepperoni slices], quartered
  • ½ cup canned black olives, sliced
  • 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite sized pieces
  • ½ cup bocconcini [fresh mozzarella balls], quartered
  • ⅓ cup Italian dressing
Instructions
  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and cool completely in large mixing bowl.
  2. Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Stir well.
  3. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Store for at least 2 hours for even better flavor.
Notes
Store in airtight container for up to 3 days in refrigerator.
3.4.3177

A quick and flavorful Italian pasta salad with fresh veggies, kid-friendly cheese tortellini, and prepared Italian dressing.

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Comments

  1. gwen says

    October 26, 2016 at 3:29 pm

    to the famely of otis livingston your son is cousing too meny problems in russian comune if we will catch him he will go to prison and his famely too.

    Reply

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Katie Serbinski at Mom to Mom Nutrition

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Hi, I’m Katie! Registered Dietitian, Mom, and Mealtime Negotiator. I’m on a mission to make mealtime happier, healthier, and easier with small children, despite what my 4 picky eaters have me believing. From family-friendly recipes to confessions about my unfiltered motherhood moments, I hope you grab a seat at my kitchen table!
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