Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

Fast and easy Tortellini Pasta Salad with cheese tortellini, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, olives, peppers, parmesan and Italian dressing. This Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe is on a whole new level!

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Easy and delicious Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

The perfect side dish for your next backyard get together, this easy Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad is fast, easy, and loaded with tasty ingredients. Made with cheese tortellini, pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, olives, peppers, parmesan and Italian dressing- this side salad is as easy as it is delicious.

Aside from being a great BBQ side dish, this salad also makes a great candidate for meal prep lunches for the week!

Tortellini Pasta Salad Ingredients

• 20 oz fresh or frozen cheese tortellini.
• 1 lb cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved. I love to use the heirloom variety for an extra pretty salad.
• ½ cup Castelvetrano olives, smashed and pitted. You can use any pitted olives you like, such as Kalamata olives, green olives, or even black olives. I love the mild and distinct flavor of the Castelvetrano olives.
• 4 oz deli sliced Genoa salami, and 4 oz deli sliced pepperoni, chopped. Just cut it into bite sized pieces.
• 8 oz mozzarella pearls, drained. If you can't find them, you can also use cubed mozzarella.
• 2 tablespoon pepperoncini peppers, diced. These slightly spicy pickled peppers can be found in the olive and relish section of the supermarket. These add a bit of kick to the salad.
• ½ medium green bell pepper, diced. If you don't have green bell peppers, you can use red or yellow bell peppers.
• 1 cup bottled Italian dressing. My go to is Olive Garden dressing, but use any you like. This salad is also great with a simple olive oil and red wine vinegar vinaigrette.
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese. This adds a bit of texture and a great nuttiness to the the salad.
• Salt and fresh ground black, pepper to taste.

How to make Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad

1. Boil tortellini according to package directions in salted water and drain. Rinse with cool water and drain well. 
2. Add the cooked and rinsed tortellini to a large mixing bowl with the tomatoes, olives, salami, pepperoni, mozzarella, diced green pepper and Pepperoncini peppers. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Add the parmesan and dressing, and mix well. 
4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Stir well before serving. 

Make ahead and storing

This Tortellini Pasta Salad can be served immediately, or made a day or so in advance, and stored in an  airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator, and should be stirred well before serving. The salad is best served at room temperature, although you can eat it cold if you like. I prefer to let it sit on the counter for a half hour prior to serving.

Swaps and Additions

This Tortellini Pasta Salad can easily be customized to your tastes/made to work with what you have on hand. Here are some great ideas for swaps and additons you can make to make it your own:

• Try green olives or Kalamata olives instead of Castelvetrano olives.
• Add in some marinated artichoke hearts.
• Make your own dressing with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar and olive oil!
• Add in extra fresh veggies, like diced cucumber or green onions.
• Toss in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
• Can't find pepperoncini peppers?  Pickled Banana peppers make a great substitute!
• Toss in some fresh herbs, like basil or parsley.
• Use another pasta- such as cavatappi or rotini.

Serving Suggestions

This Tortellini Pasta Salad is best served at room temperature, so if you can, leave it sit on the counter after being refrigerated for about a half hour, or serve right after making.

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