Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Andrea + Stef — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 00:32:17 +0000

If you enjoy chilled pasta salad, you’ll love this tortellini pasta salad recipe. It’s a colorful chorus of fresh flavors, loaded with al dente tortellinis, cured meats, fresh veggies and creamy mozzarella. It makes a brilliant summer salad, picnic dish or holiday side. Moreover, it can be the perfect appetizer for game day, potlucks, brunch or anytime. Everyone will love this easy side dish full of fresh ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This

Notable: this colorful salad is easy to make ahead of time and full of flavor
Main Ingredients: fresh tortellini, pepperoni, Genoa salami, green olives, kalamata olives, bell pepper, fresh mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, peppercinis, artichoke hearts, Italian salad dressing, fresh parsley
Cooking Method: no bake
Nutrients: 21g of protein per serving
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Pairs well with: grilled meats, fish and seafood, crusty white bread, garlic bread, cheesy bread
Special Equipment Needed: large salad bowl

Ingredients

You may have all of these ingredients for this tortellini pasta salad recipe in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store! If this is your first time making this easy pasta salad you might want to read the possible variations before deciding on your ingredients.

Pasta Salad Ingredients

1 20oz package of fresh cheese tortellini (cooked al dente)
6-8 oz pepperoni (chopped into ½” pieces)
6-8 oz Genoa salami (chopped into ½” pieces)
3 oz pitted green olives
3 oz pitted kalamata olives or black olives
1 red or orange bell pepper (diced)
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese (cubed)
10 oz fresh cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
10 peppercinis
8 oz canned artichoke hearts (drained)
2 cups Italian salad dressing (divided)
2 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

Optional Garnish

Fresh parsley or fresh basil, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Optional Additional Ingredients

fresh cucumber (diced)
green pepper (diced)
red onion (diced)
sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)

Substitutions

Meats: You could also use prosciutto, bresaola, or even seafood.

Mozzarella: Use fresh cubed mozzarella, or mozzarella pearls. Additionally, shredded mozzarella (or provolone cheese) is an optional garnish. Moreover, feta cheese would work great with this tortellini salad recipe as well.

Italian Dressing: The best salads have a homemade dressing. Use a bottled one if you must. Our dressing recipe includes garlic, Italian seasoning, granulated sugar, black pepper, sea salt, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Possible Variations

“Antipasto” translated means before the meal. It’s simply the teaser to whet your appetite for the main course. It can be one food (e.g., just olives or salami) or many different foods. Here are some ways you can put your own spin on this Italian classic.

VEGETARIAN/VEGAN ANTIPASTO – Skip the meats (and cheese for vegan variations) and add fresh veggies such as diced cucumber, green or yellow bell peppers and red onion, for example.
SEAFOOD ANTIPASTO – A southern Italian style uses shrimp, clams, mussels and/or anchovies, for example, instead of cured meats. Don’t forget the capers!
PARTY PLATTER – Arrange veggies, cheeses and meats, unmixed, on a platter. Ideal for a wine and cheese party or any buffet-style setting.
PARTY SKEWERS – Place antipasto ingredients on skewers alternating cheese, crunchy veggies, meat, pasta, etc. for easy, convenient finger foods for parties.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this cheesy tortellini salad recipe, try our Baked Ravioli. You’ll love it because this saucy and cheesy skillet dish is ready to serve in just 30 minutes.

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Big Salad Bowl — We recommend combining and tossing the salad in a large mixing bowl first and then transfering it to a big salad bowl for serving. That way the edges of the bowl stay clean and your salad looks perfect for serving.

Instructions

This section shows how to make tortellini pasta salad, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below.

COMBINE SALAD INGREDIENTS: Firstly, combine cooked pasta, pepperoni, salami, olives, bell pepper, mozzarella, tomatoes, peppercinis, parsley and artichoke hearts, in a large bowl. Then, pour half the homemade dressing over the top of the ingredients and toss.

SEASON: Afterwards, sprinkle the top of salad with fresh parsley and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, if you like. Finally, garnish with fresh shaved mozzarella cheese or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

REFRIGERATE: In case you’re serving later, refrigerate until ready to use or for up to 3 days. Before serving, add additional salad dressing until it has the amount you prefer.

WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love this classic pasta salad with mozzarella balls then you’ll love our Strawberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing. This keto friendly and vegetarian dish has a homemade dressing, feta, pecans and is simply bursting with flavor.

Andrea says….

Whip up these easy cheesy garlic rolls to eat with the pasta salad.

Recipe Tips

Follow these tips to make the best tortellini pasta salad recipe.

Tip: Don’t overcook your tortellini! Your pasta should not be mushy. Rinse with cold water as soon as you drain to stop the cooking and cool your pasta.
Tip: Use fresh tomatoes, peppers and herbs. While canned tomatoes and dried herbs are very useful in many dishes, we think fresh makes a huge difference in a cold pasta salad.
Tip: Use a good and zesty Italian dressing, such as our Italian dressing or your favorite bottled dressing.
Tip: If you are making your pasta salad ahead of time, don’t add the dressing until just before serving.

What To Serve With Tortellini Pasta Salad

We love to eat antipasto salad all by itself. But sometimes you need to serve it as a meal. Try one of these delicious recipes:

Bread: Serve easy Italian tortellini salad with Garlic French Bread made with fresh parmesan cheese and store-bought French bread. If you have extra time make Pizza Dough Garlic Knots. Additionally, Andrea’s Copycat Lion House Rolls also go perfectly with this dish.

Main Dish: Pair this cold pasta salad with Italian Meatballs, Air Fryer Lemon Chicken or a Meatball Sub Sandwich.

Pizza: This super yummy and fresh pasta salad would also make a perfect side dish for our White Pizza with Garlic Pizza Sauce or Air Fryer Naan Pizza. It would also go well with any of our mouthwatering calzones, such as pepperoni, chicken pesto, three meat or meatball, for example.

Stef says….

Even though this Italian pasta salad is so easy to make and comes together in only 10 minutes it is a real show stopper. I love bringing a bowl of cold tortellini salad or Pesto Pasta Salad to potlucks and BBQs.

More Salad Recipes

A fresh and crunchy salads are not only healthy and nutritious, they also go with most main dishes and add some vibrant colors to a dinner plate. Here are some of our other favorite salad recipes:

How To Store

Refrigerate: Store antipasto salad leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze: We do not recommend freezing tortellini pasta salad leftovers.

Common Questions

What is the difference between antipasto and antipasti?

Antipasto is singular while antipasti is plural. In case you are wondering, what about antipasta? It’s just a colloquialism or mistranslation that’s gotten stuck in our vernacular over time. Serving a traditional Italian meal? Stick with “antipasto.”

What’s the difference between antipasto and charcuterie?

Charcuterie is referring to cold cooked meats while antipasto typically includes cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables.

How do you keep this tortellini pasta salad recipe from getting soggy?

Your pasta will soak up some of the dressing while sitting in the pasta salad, so it is important not to overcook your pasta to prevent it from becoming soggy or mushy. Therefore cook your pasta until just al dente (meaning, it is still firm when bitten).

Does antipasto have pasta in it?

Traditional Italian antipasto salad is served before the main (pasta) course, so it does not include pasta. In this recipe, however, we’re breaking the rules and adding a creamy, flavorful cheese tortellini, which makes this dish great as a side or main course for summer picnics, holidays, game day parties, potlucks or anytime.

artichokes, mozzarella, olives, pepperoni