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This Tortellini Pasta Salad is loaded with tender, cheese-filled tortellini, crisp veggies, and salami, all tossed in a zesty Italian dressing. It’s a fresh, flavorful cold side dish that’s perfect for summer potlucks, picnics, or weekday lunches.
Why You’ll Love This Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
- Comes together fast with just a quick chop and toss
- Packed with bold flavor from zesty dressing, pesto, and fresh herbs
- Easy to customize with your favorite add-ins or whatever’s in the fridge
- A complete cold side dish with pasta, veggies, and protein in one bowl
- Perfect for making ahead; even better the next day for lunch
Ingredients Notes
- Frozen cheese tortellini – I used frozen tri-color tortellini, but plain works great too. Fresh, refrigerated tortellini is also a good option.
- Salami – Thick-sliced deli salami adds rich, savory flavor. You can swap it with pepperoni, grilled chicken, summer sausage, crumbled bacon, or even shrimp.
- Cherry tomatoes – Grape tomatoes work just as well.
- Cucumber – Persian or English cucumbers are both great choices.
- Sliced black olives – For a bolder, brinier flavor, try Kalamata olives instead.
- Mozzarella pearls – Diced fresh mozzarella makes a great substitute.
- Red onion – Thinly sliced red onion adds a bit of sharpness. For a milder flavor, use sweet yellow onion.
- Green and red bell peppers – Any color bell pepper works; yellow or orange are great too.
- Fresh sweet basil leaves – Fresh basil adds herby brightness to this tortellini salad recipe.
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper – For simple seasoning that ties everything together.
- Grated parmesan cheese – Freshly grated is ideal, but pre-shredded will work in a pinch.
- Zesty Italian salad dressing – Store-bought works great, but you can also make your own homemade Italian dressing using olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Italian spices. For a twist, try creamy Italian, Greek, or even balsamic vinaigrette.
- Pesto sauce – Optional, but highly recommended for an extra boost of herby flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Easy Variations & Additions
- Vegetarian version: Skip the salami and add protein with chickpeas, kidney beans, or grilled tofu.
- Boost the veggies – Mix in extras like broccoli florets, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, pepperoncinis, corn, or shredded carrots.
- Go Greek-style – Swap mozzarella for feta cheese, use Greek dressing, and go with Kalamata olives for a Mediterranean twist.
- Creamy version – Replace the Italian dressing with a mayo-based dressing, or do a half-and-half mix of mayo and Italian for a creamy tang.
How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Cook the tortellini: Boil according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
- Mix the ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the cooked tortellini, salami, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, mozzarella, red onion, bell peppers, fresh basil, salt, and pepper.
- Add cheese and dressing: Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Drizzle with Italian dressing and pesto sauce.
- Toss and chill: Gently toss everything until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
- Serve: Give it a final toss before serving. Garnish with extra basil or a sprinkle of parsley if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Cook just to al dente: Overcooked tortellini can get mushy and fall apart when tossed.
- Rinse pasta after cooking: This stops the cooking process and cools the tortellini quickly.
- Chop everything evenly: Cutting ingredients into similar-sized pieces ensures every bite is balanced.
- Chill before serving: Letting the salad chill for at least 1 hour allows the flavors to meld perfectly.
What to Serve With Tortellini Pasta Salad
This cheese tortellini pasta salad is hearty enough to enjoy on its own but also pairs perfectly with grilled burgers, bbq chicken, pulled pork, or simple sandwiches. Serve it cold for summer cookouts, pack leftovers for lunch, or halve the recipe for smaller gatherings.
Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions
- Make ahead: This pasta salad actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge. Just give it a good toss before serving.
- Store: Keep the Italian tortellini pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Best served cold, but you can bring it to room temperature if you prefer.
- Freeze: Not recommended; tortellini and dressing don’t thaw well and may become mushy.
More Summer Salad Recipes You’ll Love
- Summer Pasta Salad
- Salad Supreme Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Street Corn Pasta Salad
If you’ve tried this Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Serves — 8
This easy tortellini pasta salad is loaded with cheese tortellini, fresh veggies, and zesty Italian dressing. It’s the perfect make-ahead side for summer cookouts, potlucks, or weekday lunches.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 24 ounces (1½ – 16-ounce) packages frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 cup chopped salami I used thick sliced deli hard salami
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes washed and halved
- ½ cucumber sliced and quartered
- ½ cup sliced black olives
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese pearls or diced fresh mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ¼ cup diced red pepper
- ¼ cup diced green pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sweet basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup zesty Italian salad dressing
- 2 tablespoons pesto sauce
Instructions
- Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Drain and rinse them under cold water to cool them down and stop the cooking process.24 ounces (1½ – 16-ounce) packages frozen cheese tortellini
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked tortellini, chopped salami, halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, mozzarella pearls, red onion, red and green bell pepper, fresh basil, kosher salt and pepper.1 cup chopped salami, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cucumber, ½ cup sliced black olives, ½ cup mozzarella cheese pearls, ½ cup thinly sliced red onion, ¼ cup diced red pepper, ¼ cup diced green pepper, ¼ cup chopped fresh sweet basil leaves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the salad ingredients.¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- Drizzle the zesty Italian salad dressing and pesto sauce over the salad.½ cup zesty Italian salad dressing, 2 tablespoons pesto sauce
- Gently toss all the ingredients together until they are well combined.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Before serving, give the pasta salad a final toss to ensure all the ingredients are coated with the dressing. Serve chilled, and you can garnish with additional fresh basil leaves if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- Make ahead: This pasta salad actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge. Just give it a good toss before serving.
- Store: Keep the Italian tortellini pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Best served cold, but you can bring it to room temperature if you prefer.
- Freeze: Not recommended; tortellini and dressing don’t thaw well and may become mushy.
- Overcooked tortellini can get mushy and fall apart when tossed.
- This stops the cooking process and cools the tortellini quickly.
- Cutting ingredients into similar-sized pieces ensures every bite is balanced.
- Letting the salad chill for at least 1 hour allows the flavors to meld perfectly.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 2651mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 3mg
