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This flavorful Tortellini Pasta Salad is made with cheese tortellini, Italian meats, fresh veggies, all tossed with Italian dressing. A vibrant side dish perfect for a potluck or picnic!
Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad
A creamy cheese tortellini pasta salad with pepperoni is all about the flavor.
How many times have you been to a potluck, walked through the line with your plate in hand, surveyed the endless bowls of salads and wondered which ones you were going to take a chance on? It’s definitely a game of chance! 🙂 As you sit down and start consuming the salads, you find out that you chose wrong. The salads were super bland and you were wishing that a salt and pepper shaker would magically appear out of nowhere to help resurrect the dish. You nervously take your fork and move things around your plate so it looks as if you thoroughly enjoyed it, and then cover your plate with a napkin as you walk to throw it away in the garbage can.
Please tell me I am not alone in this awkward food debacle.
I have got a solution for you! This Antipasto Tortellini Pasta Salad will be a huge hit at your next potluck or family dinner. When you bring a dish to a potluck, you want to glance over and see that your bowl is empty and hear rave reviews about your salad. If you hear crickets, that isn’t so fun. This Antipasto Tortellini Pasta salad will definitely impress the masses!
Antipasto Platters are so popular in Italy with their cured meats, cheeses, peppers, marinated vegetables, and bread. My mouth starts to water when I think of an antipasto platter because it’s the king of flavor. From the salty meats to the creamy cheeses to the tangy marinated vegetables to the warm bread.
This Easy Tortellini Pasta Salad starts off with creamy cheese tortellini topped with Genoa salami, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers, red onion, fresh basil, and finished off with an olive oil and red wine vinaigrette.
The Italian dressing vinaigrette is simply focusing on the clean flavor of extra-virgin olive oil and the tangy bite from the vinaigrette. This keeps the salad light and fresh instead of being weighed down by a mayonnaise-based dressing.
If you don’t have cheese tortellini on hand (can be found in the refrigerated and frozen sections of the grocery store), then substitute a 1 pound package of bowtie pasta. Cheese tortellini adds a creamy richness that sets this pasta salad apart from the rest.
This Tortellini Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing is also my summer go-to salad. I am the first to admit that I become L-A-Z-Y in the summer and don’t cook huge meals every night for my family. We spend a lot of time eating salads and firing up the grill. This is a salad that can be whipped up quickly in the morning and as my kids come and go during the summer evening hours, they can grab a bowl at their leisure. Plus, I am just relieved that they aren’t eating Top Ramen! 🙂 It’s one of their favorite salads by a long shot.
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Antipasto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- (1) 19-ounce or 20 ounce pkg. *Cheese Tortellini cooked according to package instructions
- 4 ounces Genoa Salami sliced and rolled
- 4 ounces Pepperoni sliced and rolled
- 8 ounce Fresh Mozzarella Cheese cut into cubes
- 1/4 Red Onion thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup Roasted Red Peppers from jar, sliced
- 6 Fresh Basil Leaves sliced into ribbons
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese optional
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- *can substitute 1 lb. bowtie pasta
Instructions
- Heat water in large pot over high heat until boiling. Generously salt water. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Can substitute 1 lb. bowtie pasta for tortellini.
- To make the dressing, shake olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper
- Slice salami and pepperoni into long slices. Roll up into tight circle.
- Place cooked tortellini in a large bowl. Toss with red wine vinaigrette. Top with salami, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, red onion, roasted red peppers, basil, and optional parmesan cheese. Season to taste.
- Serve either warm or cold.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy summer, my friends! Oh and don’t forget to let me know if you hear rave reviews about this salad at your next potluck. Thanks for your fabulous support. xoxo
Heyyyy girrrl! I am in charge of making a pasta salad for the teachers appreciation luncheon this week and yours looks the best!.. so I’m gonna give it a try. At the bottom of the recipe says season to taste. I am assuming that means salt and pepper? I’m a rookie at making this stuff so any tips would help. Also wondering if I should make this the day before?
Since coming upon your Levain Chocolate Chip cookie recipe 3 weeks ago, I have managed to make 6 batches. Along with those, the peanut butter chocolate version, 2 batches. All I can say is they were fighting over them at my place of work! Delicious and thank you.
Hi Alicia! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. It’s always so great to hear from you. I LOVE your additions. Those are fabulous ideas. I am a huge fan of artichoke hearts so I am going to add those to my next salad as well. Adding grape tomatoes would make it taste even fresher which would be super yummy. Thanks for sharing your feedback, Alicia. xoxo – Melissa
Made this as part of our July 4th dinner. SO tasty! I added marinated artichoke hearts and some olives, but otherwise made it as-is, using bowtie pasta in place of the tortellini . Totally a keeper! My meat-loving husband was especially happy. 🙂 Next time I might even add some grape tomatoes; I love that it’s a very-adaptable recipe.
I just love you, Pam! Thanks for all of your support. Xo
This salad looks wonderful. I was looking through recipes trying to come up with sides a little lighter and different. I knew I was in for a treat if I went to your blog! Will make this..thank you