Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Italian tortellini salad filled in a light ceramic bowl with a handle.

4.92 from 12 votes

Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

This Italian tortellini pasta salad comes together in 30 minutes and delivers bold, savory flavor in every bite. Tender four cheese tortellini, salami, pepperoni, capicola, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and pepperoncini peppers all tossed in a homemade Italian dressing that makes all the difference.

Prep Time20

Cook Time13

Total Time33

Course: Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Servings: (Makes about 9 cups)

Calories: 843kcal

Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Tortellini Salad:

20 oz three cheese tortellini
10 oz cherry tomatoes cut in half
2/3 cup pepperoncini peppers or banana peppers chopped
1/4 lb capicola ham chopped
1/4 lb pepperoni chopped
1/3 lb hard salami chopped
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese mini balls or chopped
2 Tbsp minced Italian parsley
6-8 basil leaves minced
Salt

Dressing:

1/2 cup virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar white wine vinegar can be substituted
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves pressed
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Use more or less according to personal taste
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt

Instructions

Cook tortellini according to the package, drain well. To cool it faster, spread the cooked tortellini on a large parchment paper covered baking sheet in one even layer with some space in between.
Chop meats, tomatoes, pepperoncini peppers and cheese.
Add cooled tortellini into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped meats, cheese, and veggies.
Mince herbs and add it to the mixing bowl as well. Add some salt and mix well.
In a jar with a lid or in a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients for the dressing. Close the jar and shake well, or whisk.
Pour dressing into the bowl with tortellini mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
Cover and refrigerate salad before serving.

Video

Notes

Serving: This salad is great cold or room temperature! Personally, I prefer it at room temperature because some ingredients in the dressing and tortellini filling do solidity. It is a personal preference though.
Storing: store leftover tortellini salad covered air-tight, in the refrigerator for 3-5 days refrigerated. You may need to add a little more dressing after it’s been in the fridge for a while because pasta tends to soak up all the dressing liquids.

Make Ahead:

Prepare Just Tortellini: If making tortellini ahead of time, cook and cool tortellini. Mix cooled tortellini with a little bit of Italian dressing. Store cooked tortellini in a food storage container with a lid, in the refrigerator, until ready to use.
Prepare most of the pasta salad: You can also prepare the salad completely without the dressing and tomatoes. So prepare pasta, meats, cheese, banana peppers, and herbs and mix it all together. Transfer everything into a food storage container with a lid. Store the salad mixture in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Add dressing and cut tomatoes when ready to serve.

Nutrition