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At a recent family event (Mom’s 90th birthday party), I made this Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad for the first time and it was a hit! It is one of those great salads that is actually a complete meal and is packed with all kinds of yummy finds in every bite. Every forkful is a different flavor and texture making this not only delicious, but so much fun to eat. It is also a salad that lasts for days in the refrigerator and something you can make on a Sunday and have for lunch all week long. So good!
Let’s talk about ingredients starting with the tortellini. For this salad, I like fresh tortellini rather than the frozen variety. You can buy fresh tortellini in the same section as your cheese, salsas and hummus at the grocery story. Buitoni tortellini is a one of my go to brands and can be found everywhere. Another favorite is Rana’s spinach and cheese tortellini. Both brands have a spinach and white pasta mix that offers even more color to this already colorful salad. Just use your favorites.
The rest of the ingredients can really be a mix of all your favorite things. I use lots of fresh veggies: cucumbers, bell peppers (a variety of colors) and different colored cherry tomatoes. I like to add in some fresh herbs and you can use anything you have on hand from the fresh thyme I used here, to parsley, oregano or sage. I’d just use a soft herb in this mix so you don’t have any woody pieces of stem (like rosemary) in the salad.
I love adding olives and use two types in this recipe; black olives and Kalamata olives. You could certainly add green olives to the mix too. I love the spicy pepperocini in this. They add a ton of flavor and I can buy them already chopped at my grocery store.
When it comes to cheese, I’ve used cheese tortellini, mini mozzarella balls and shaved and grated Parmesan in this salad. But you could also add other favorites like crumbled feta, or shredded cheddar or fontina too.
I wanted some spicy meat in this dish and went with turkey pepperoni but regular pepperoni, salami, or chopped prosciutto would also work. You could easily add some cooked shrimp and/or shredded or chopped chicken to the salad too.
As with all my recipes, substituting your favorite ingredients works really well. This is Italian inspired, so I went with Italian ingredients and created a Tuscan tortellini salad vibe. But you could easily change up the ingredients and use your favorite add ins to make it your own. Because there is no mayonnaise in the salad, this would make an amazing summer tortellini salad, and would be great at BBQs, pool parties, and as a dish you bring when invited anywhere.
To get started on the recipe, pull together all your ingredients.
Chop, dice, cut and shred any of the ingredients you’ll be using in the salad. Measure out your ingredients and get them ready to be added to your antipasto tortellini salad. Next, cook your tortellini in salted water for one minute shy of the package instructions. Drain the pasta in a colander and then add to a large bowl.
In a large measuring cup, make your dressing. Add all the ingredients and whisk until everything is combined. Alternatively, put all the ingredients in a mason jar, cover and shake vigorously until combined. Pour half the dressing on the tortellini and gently fold into the warm pasta. Let the pasta sit about 30 minutes to cool before adding in all the chopped and prepped ingredients.
Stir all the pasta and added ingredients until combined. Finish the salad by pouring on the rest of the dressing and gently folding the dressing and pasta salad together to combine. Cover the salad and put in the refrigerator for about an hour to let all the flavors meld together. You can let this sit for several hours until ready to serve.
When ready, toss everything again and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Spoon onto a large platter and serve with big serving spoons.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. Did you add anything special to your salad? How did you make it your own? I’d love to hear. If you are looking for other fun salads to serve at your next party, check out some of these:
Watermelon, Peach & Feta Salad
Creamy Cucumber and Apple Salad
Italian Tortellini Salad
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 20 oz bag refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 cucumber peeled, sliced and quartered
- 1 pint mixed yellow, red and orange cherry or heirloom tomatoes halved
- 1 Can black olives drained and halved
- 1 Cup Kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 orange, red or yellow bell pepper chopped
- 3 tbsp pepperocini, chopped
- 1 Cup fresh mini-mozzarella balls
- ½ Cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 8 oz sliced turkey pepperoni, sliced in quarters
- 1 Tbsp Fresh thyme, chopped
Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinega
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon monk fruit sugar substitute (Lakanto is a good brand)
Instructions
- Make your salad dressing. In a large measuring cup, or in a mason jar with a lid, add all the ingredients. Either whisk to completely incorporate all the ingredients in the measuring cup OR put the lid on the mason jar and shake vigorously.
- Cook the tortellini about one minute less that the package recommends. Cook in salted water. Drain and add to a large bowl. Add half the dressing to the warm tortellini and toss to coat. Put to the side while you prep all your vegetables and pepperoni.
- Cut your veggies, olives and pepperoni. Add everything to the bowl with the tortellini and toss to combine. Add in the mozzarella balls, Parmesan cheese and chopped thyme. Mix again.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and let the flavors combine. Add the rest of the dressing right before serving, tossing everything again to combine. Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Enjoy.
