This cold Italian Tortellini Salad with homemade Italian dressing is filled to the brim with chopped veggies, cheese, salami, and chewy tortellini pasta. It’s a perfect pasta salad to bring to potlucks and picnics that can even be made the night before.
There is so much in this salad it works well as a hearty side dish or a light lunch. I love the fact that it actually tastes better with time so it is a great make-ahead option. If you are looking for more Italian pasta salad recipes, you can also try our Caprese Pasta Salad.
Italian Tortellini Salad
Cold pasta salad season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier. This Italian pasta salad with Italian dressing is absolutely loaded with ingredients—salad, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and even a little pepperoncini for some zip. The soft and chewy tortellini pasta soaks up the Italian dressing like a sponge, so don’t hesitate to add all of it.
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Like all pasta salads, this one is easy to customize. In the past I have added shrimp, olives, bell peppers, and even diced cooked chicken to this salad.
And if you are looking for even more pasta salad recipes, try this Pesto Pasta Salad, BLT Pasta Salad, or our classic Pasta Salad recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Tortellini – fresh or frozen tortellini will work perfectly fine for this recipe, so use your favorite. I usually stick with cheese tortellini but a simple flavor like spinach would also taste good. Once you have cooked according to the package directions, be sure to run under cool water to stop the cooking.
- Tomatoes – using cherry tomatoes makes things easy because they just need to be cut in half. During the late summer, you could substitute another kind of garden variety. Just cut into ½” pieces.
- Cucumber – English cucumbers are great as they have far less seeds and hold up very well. You don’t need to peel them unless that is how you prefer it.
- Mozzarella Balls – the mini mozzarella balls are the perfect size for this salad. Rinse and drain them well before adding.
- Artichoke Hearts – drain them and chop before adding to the salad. They add a really delicious briney flavor to the salad.
- Salami – you can use deli sliced salami and cut into small pieces, or cut off of a large log of salami.
- Pepperoncini – drain the pepperoncini before mincing and adding to the salad. They are a bit like a spicy pickle and add so much flavor.
- Red Onion – red onion adds color and a sharp onion flavor that’s amazing in salad.
- Parsley – fresh chopped parsley adds color, fresh flavor, and extra vitamins! Fresh basil would also taste good.
For the Italian Dressing
- Olive Oil – olive oil is added for its flavor as well as its ability to emulsify the dressing, so using a high quality extra virgin olive oil will give the best flavor.
- Red Wine Vinegar – vinegar gives the dressing its zesty flavor. If you don’t have red wine vinegar you could substitute white wine vinegar or lemon juice.
- Mayonnaise – mayo keeps the dressing creamy and emulsified.
- Parmesan Cheese – use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the best texture and flavor.
- Sugar – all of the olive oil and acidity benefits from just a tiny amount of sugar. You could substitute a little agave or honey.
- Garlic – fresh garlic gives this dressing the best flavor, hands down. Especially for Italian dressing, it’s hard to substitute. The minced jarred garlic will work fine, too.
- Dried Herbs – dried herbs like oregano, parsley, and basil are added along with the salt and pepper to season the dressing.
How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Cook the tortellini pasta. Cook fresh or frozen tortellini to al dente according to package directions, then run under cold water. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, artichoke hearts, red onion, salami, pepperoncini, and fresh parsley to the bowl with the cooked pasta.
- Make the Italian dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the Italian dressing until emulsified.
- Toss. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix until evenly coated. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Refrigerate. Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving, or overnight.
- Serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to cook the tortellini to al dente and run under cold water to stop the cooking. If you overcook the pasta, it will become mushy and break apart when you toss the salad.
- Mini mozzarella balls are the perfect size for this salad and soak up a ton of flavor.
- Don’t be afraid to add plenty of the Italian dressing to the salad because the pasta and mozzarella balls will soak it up.
- This salad can be prepped the night before and served the following day.
- Feel free to add even more mix-ins like shrimp, olives, bell peppers, pepperoni, and sun dried tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In fact I encourage you to refrigerate this salad for a minimum of two hours before serving it. This gives the dressing time to soak into the pasta and give it even more flavor. You can make it the day before you plan to serve it and just store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
So much! Don’t be afraid to add even more mix-ins to this salad, beyond what is listed in the recipe. A few of my favorites to add are shrimp, chicken, pepperoni, bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and olives.
Yes! This is a cold pasta salad recipe and the tortellini should be rinsed under cold water immediately after cooking.
Storing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Tortellini Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces tortellini pasta , fresh or frozen
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 medium English cucumber, diced into 1/2" pieces
- 2/3 cup small mozzarella balls
- 1/4 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup salami, sliced
- 1/2 cup pepperoncini, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Homemade Italian Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the tortellini according to package directions, cooking until al dente. Run cold water over the cooked pasta to cool, then drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, artichoke hearts, red onion, salami, pepperoncini, and fresh parsley to the bowl with the cooked pasta.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, sugar, minced garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and vegetables and mix until everything is evenly coated. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This Italian tortellini pasta recipe is a favorite pasta salad that is packed with ingredients and loaded with flavor. It can be made ahead of time and is super simple to customize.
