A flavorful and simple Italian pasta salad is tortellini salad! Tortellini with cheese, pepperoni, black olives, and mozzarella cheese in a homemade Italian dressing.
The pasta salad folks and the potato salad people are the two type of people present at the barbecue. So far, that is! This cold pasta salad, which consists of cheese tortellini, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese mixed with Italian dressing, is so good that even the most ardent lovers of potato salad will be won over.
This is a quick and easy pasta salad that combines elements of antipasto with salad dressing. The longest part of the preparation is waiting for the pasta to cook, then tortelli salad comes together in a matter of minutes. Choose chilled tortellini rather than dried or frozen pasta for quicker cooking.
Tortellini salad is a tasty and easy-to-make Italian pasta salad! Chese, pepperoni, black olives, and mozzarella cheese are combined in a homemade Italian dressing to make tortellini.
Tortellini salad is a great dish for outdoor potlucks and picnics. To serve, simply place it in an ice chest until needed. You may simply double this recipe for spaghetti salad to feed a large gathering. Make extra; the leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week.
You can customize this Tortellini Pasta Salad in a myriad of ways to make it your own. The options are infinite, from the kind of pasta and ingredients for the Italian dressing to the vegetables and cheese. See this post’s numerous tips to be inspired!
VARIATIONS
- Jarred Vegetables: You may add pepperoncini, sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and other jarred antipasto vegetables to this recipe.
- Fresh Vegetables: Chop up spinach, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and red onions for this pasta salad.
- Meat: Try sliced salami, cooked Italian sausage, or leftover baked ham or chicken breast in instead of small pepperonis.
- Cheese: Try feta, goat, fresh mozzarella, or shredded parmesan cheese, among other Mediterranean or Italian cheeses.
- Italian Seasonings: Instead of using Italian seasoning, use fresh herbs and spices. Try using minced garlic, oregano, thyme, and fresh basil as dressing ingredients.
- Salad Dressing: Use this imitation Olive Garden Italian Dressing, Caesar dressing, fresh basil pesto, or bottled Italian dressing instead. For the salad dressing, red wine vinegar can be used in place of the balsamic vinegar.
- Pasta: Rotini, penne, or elbow macaroni are some other pasta salad staples that work well in this dish. Try cannellini or garbanzo beans if you’re not a huge pasta fan.
HOW TO STORE TORTELLINI SALAD
- Serve: Tortellini Salad does not need to be refrigerated for up to two hours when kept at room temperature.
- Store: For up to five days, store the tortellini salad in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Tortellini salad should not be frozen since the components will defrost poorly and get mushy.
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Ingredients
- 16 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 4 ounces mini pepperoni
- 1/4 cup sliced black olives
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese , diced
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to the instructions, drain, rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine tortellini pasta with the pepperoni, black olives and mozzarella cheese.
- Whisk together the oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and toss well with the tortellini salad ingredients
- Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.