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.

• 

  Air Fryer Naan Pizza

• 

  Chicken Pesto Calzone

• 

  The Best Italian Meatballs

• 

  Air Fryer Lemon Chicken

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:

• 

  Caprese Salad

• 

  Easy Italian Salad Recipe With Homemade Salad Dressing

• 

  Salmon Pasta Salad

• 

  Chopped Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

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

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Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Full of color and flavor, this traditional Italian antipasto is great as a summer salad or any time.

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword antipasto salad, antipasto tortellini salad, italian pasta salad, pasta salad

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 631kcal

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

• large salad bowl

Ingredients

• 20 ounces cheese tortellini
• 6-8 ounces pepperoni chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 6-8 ounces Genoa salami chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 3 ounces pitted green olives
• 3 ounces pitted kalamata olives or black olives
• 1 red or orange bell pepper
• 10 ounces cherry tomatoes fresh
• 10 pepperoncinis
• 8 ounces canned artichoke hearts drained
• 2 cups Italian salad dressing divided
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Optional Garnish:

• fresh parsley chopped
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Instructions

• In a large salad bowl, combine tortellini, pepperoni, salami, green olives, kalamata olives, bell pepper, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, peppercinis, parsley and artichoke hearts.
  
• Pour half the salad dressing over the top of the ingredients and toss.
  
• If you’re serving later, refrigerate for up to 3 days. Before serving, add additional salad dressing until it has the amount you prefer.
• Sprinkle top of salad with fresh parsley and optional ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Serve with crusty french bread and green Italian salad.
  

Notes

• Optional additional ingredients: diced fresh cucumber, diced green pepper and diced red onion.
• Optional: garnish with fresh shaved mozzarella cheese.
• This antipasto tortellini salad makes a great make-ahead meal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 2154mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1154IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe appeared first on Family Dinners.

This super quick and no hassle way of cooking fish sticks, creates an amazingly crispy crust while keeping the inside moist and flaky. No more waiting around for the oven to preheat or serving soft and soggy microwave fish fingers.

We have also shared our favorite dipping sauces to serve alongside crunchy air fryer fish sticks and fries as well as helpful tips on how to store and reheat leftovers.

Instructions

Full instructions and photos in the recipe card below.

Prep: Spray your air fryer basket with a non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

Cook: Cook frozen fish sticks in a single layer in batches at 400°F for 10-11 minutes.

How to Store Fish Sticks After Cooking

Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning.

Refrigerate: Let any air fryer fish sticks leftovers cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Fish Sticks in the Air Fryer

Reheating fish sticks in the air fryer is super easy and beats reheating them in the microwave by miles. While microwaved fish sticks come out soft, soggy and pretty much inedible, the air fryer brings them back to almost perfect crispiness.

To air fry the fish sticks when reheating you only need to cook at 400ºF for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Your fish fingers should once again be crunchy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside.

Fish Stick Dips

Although air fryer fish fingers taste great by themselves, you can easily make them even more enjoyable by serving them alongside a delicious dipping sauce. We definitely love a cool and tangy tartar sauce or creamy avocado ranch dip. You can also give them a spicy twist by adding some of our Cajun dipping sauce.

• Homemade Tartar Sauce
• Spicy Cajun Dipping Sauce
• Avocado Ranch Dip

MORE FROZEN FOODS TO COOK IN THE AIR FRYER

Your air fryer comes in very handy to prepare a quick after school snack for your kids. It perfectly cooks frozen snacks like fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tater tots or bagel bites. The best part, it only takes a couple of minutes from freezer to plate. And we all know, when it comes to hungry kids, every minute counts!

Take a look at some of our other frozen food air fryer recipes:

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Air Fryer Fish Sticks

How to cook fish sticks in air fryer. These air fryer fish sticks are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer, fish

Cook Time 11 minutes minutes

Total Time 11 minutes minutes

Servings 6 fish sticks

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 6 fish sticks frozen
• fresh lemon juice

Instructions

• Place 6 frozen fish sticks in your air fryer basket/tray.
  
• Cook the frozen fish sticks in air fryer at 400°F for 10-11 minutes or until cooked through.
  
• Let the cooked fish sticks rest for a minute.
• Drizzle them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before eating.

The post Air Fryer Fish Sticks appeared first on Family Dinners.

Air fried hamburgers turn out tender and juicy on the inside and perfectly browned on the outside. Serve them on a toasted bun alongside your favorite kind of fries or a crunchy salad.

We have also included a list of our favorite burger toppings, and some helpful hints in case you would like to make your own fresh hamburger patties.

Choosing Hamburger Meat

For the best, beefy, and juicy burgers we recommend using ground chuck. Ground chuck usually provides the perfect lean meat/fat ratio at about 80-85 % lean meat and 15-20 % fat. The fat content is necessary to keep your burger flavorful and juicy. Even though, leaner cuts of beef might sound like a better and healthier choice on paper, they unfortunately make dry burgers that are no fun to eat.

Frozen Hamburger Patties vs. Fresh Hamburger Patties

There is actually not a big difference in quality or taste between frozen and fresh hamburger patties. While fresh hamburger patties do provide a slightly richer taste, they have a very short shelf life. Fresh patties are the better choice if you want to follow a specific hamburger patty recipe and if you are planning on cooking them within a day or two. Frozen hamburger patties, on the other hand, are a lot more convenient and still provide great taste. You can safely store them in the freezer for up to 6 months without losing any flavor. Frozen patties cook up quick and easy without defrosting, which makes them a great choice for a last minute meal.

Hamburger Topping Ideas

Burgers are a great meal, because they are super easy to personalize. Serve your cooked hamburgers or cheeseburgers on a toasted, open bun and let everyone add their favorite toppings by themselves. This way everybody can build their own favorite burger. Here is a list of our favorite traditional burger topping:

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Onion
• Pickles
• Bacon
• Hamburger Sauce
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Mayonaise
• BBQ Sauce

Tips for Making Perfect Hamburger Patties

If you are making your own fresh hamburger patties, check out these helpful tips to ensure you end up with a tender and flavorful burger:

Ingredients:

• Use ground chuck with either 80/20 or 85/15 mixing ratio.
• Season your meat with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add additional flavorings such as garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, paprika or smoked paprika, cumin…..
• Add Worcestershire sauce to your patties to enhance the beefy flavor.
• Bread crumbs, panko crumbs or crushed up crackers can be added to your patties as they help bind the juices and create a more tender and succulent burger.

Shaping:

• Make sure your patties all weigh the same and therefore cook evenly.
• Shape your hamburger patties slightly bigger than your buns, as they shrink a bit during cooking.
• Create a divot in the middle of your meat patties by pressing down with a spoon or your thumb. This prevents your patties from shrinking too much and losing their shape during cooking.
• Separate burger patties with pieces of parchment paper for refrigeration until you are ready to cook them.

RECIPES TO MAKE WITH HAMBURGERS

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Air Fryer Hamburgers

Learn how to make premade frozen hamburger patties in the air fryer. These are quick and easy to cook up with no grill mess.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword air fried hamburger patty, air fryer, cheeseburger, frozen hamburger patties, hamburger

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 hamburger patties

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• cooking spatula or tongs
• meat thermometer

Ingredients

• 2 hamburger patties frozen

Instructions

• Place 1 or 2 frozen hamburger patties in your air fryer basket/tray. Make sure they are not touching.
  
• Cook at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. Flip the patties halfway through. Decrease time by 2-3 minutes for fresh patties.
  
• If you want to add cheese, place a slice of cheese on the patty for the last minute of your cooking time or when the patty reaches about 5 degrees below your targeted temperature. Patties are well done when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
  
• Serve on a toasted hamburger bun with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Cooking times vary depending on how full your air fryer is, how thick your patties are and how large they are.

Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the patty.

The post Air Fryer Hamburgers appeared first on Family Dinners.

They are ready in only 6 minutes, because there is no more need to wait for the oven to preheat when you air fry bagel bites. Nothing beats the convenience of these delicious frozen mini pizza snacks with sauce, mozzarella cheese and mini pepperoni bits.

While oven baked or microwaved bagel bites often come out dry or soggy, pizza bagel bites come out perfect every time. Your family will be asking for these over and over again!

How to Store Bagel Bites After Cooking

Storing your food properly is important to prevent spoiling or food poisoning.

Refrigerate: Let leftover air fryer pizza bagels cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Bagel Bites in the Air Fryer

Reheating these pizza bagels bites in the air fryer is super easy and beats reheating them in the microwave by miles. Microwaved bagel bites usually come out with a soft and soggy base. This makes them pretty much inedible. An air fryer brings bagel bite leftovers back to almost perfect crispiness.

Simply put your pre-cooked bagel bites back into the air fryer and cook at 360ºF for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Your pizza bites should once again be crunchy on the bottom and topped with melty cheese.

More Frozen Foods to Cook in the Air Fryer

Your air fryer comes in very handy to prepare a quick after school snack, lunch or dinner for your kids. It perfectly cooks frozen snacks like fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tater tots or bagel bites. The best part, it only takes a couple of minutes from freezer to plate. And we all know, when it comes to hungry kids who want an easy snack, every minute counts!

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Air Fryer Frozen Bagel Bites

Learn how to air fry frozen bagel bites. These crispy and cheesy mini pizza snacks cook up perfectly in the air fryer and are a great after school snack.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword air fryer bagel bites, bagel, frozen bagel bites in the air fryer, mini bagel bites, mini pizza snacks, pizza

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

• Air Fryer
• cooking spatula or tongs

Ingredients

• 12 bagel bites frozen

Instructions

• Place frozen bagel bites in a single layer at the bottom of your air fryer basket.
  
• Cook at 360°F for 5-6 minutes or until cheese in melted and bagels are golden brown.
  
• Carefully remove from the air fryer using a spatula or tongs. Let the bagel bites cool for 1-2 minutes. Serve!

The post Air Fryer Bagel Bites appeared first on Family Dinners.

They make an easy, delicious accompaniment to air fryer chipotle chicken wings, sheet pan chicken fajitas or any Southwestern dish. Plus, they’re a great snack on their own. However you want to enjoy them, these air fryer frozen taquitos will crisp up perfectly if you follow our simple instructions.

What is an Air Fryer?

Air fryers are essentially small, table-top convection ovens. A coil inside produces high heat that is continually circulated around the food using a fan. This creates crispy results without the extra oil needed for deep frying, making it a healthy alternative. Some air fryers have a basket to place the food in while larger versions look more like toaster ovens, but they both work the same way.

Air Fryer Taquito vs Microwave Taquito

Microwaves can heat your taquitos quickly, but the results can be soggy or rubbery. For the crispiest taquitos, use an air fryer because it crisp them up–and fast–using circulating hot air.

What temperature do you cook frozen taquitos at? Air fry at 400ºF for the crispiest results.

How to Store Taquitos After Cooking

Store taquitos in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat Taquitos in the Air Fryer

To reheat taquitos, place them in your air fryer in a single layer and heat them at 350ºF for 3-5 minutes. The time might vary slightly for different air fryers.

How do you Make Frozen Taquitos Better?

Serve as a side: Air fryer frozen taquitos are the perfect side dish for juicy air fryer chipotle chicken wings, sheet pan chicken fajitas or instant pot chicken tortilla soup.

Make it a main dish: Plate 3 or 4 taquitos and top with salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, lettuce and diced tomatoes.

Or you can always just dip it! We’ve got a list of delicious dips that take taquitos to a whole new level.

Dips for Taquitos

• Mango Habanero Salsa
• Mango Avocado Salsa
• Salsa Verde
• Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
• Fresh Guacamole
• Rotel Dip

More Frozen Foods to Cook in the Air Fryer

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Air Fryer Taquitos

How to cook frozen taquitos in an air fryer.

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword air fryer, air fryer appetizers

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 8 minutes minutes

Servings 6 taquitos

Author Andrea + Stef

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 6-8 taquitos frozen

Instructions

• Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
• Spray the basket of the air fryer. Place 6-8 frozen taquitos into the basket. Do not overcrowd the basket.
  
• Cook for 6-8 minutes. Shake them halfway through.
  
• Let cool for a minute. Serve.

The post How To Cook Frozen Taquitos in Air Fryer appeared first on Family Dinners.