Tortellini Pasta Salad with Salami, Fresh Vegetables, and Pesto Recipe
This vibrant Tortellini Pasta Salad is a delightful blend of tender cheese tortellini, zesty Italian dressing, fresh vegetables, and savory salami, perfect for a refreshing meal or side dish. Chilled to meld the flavors, it combines textures and tastes for a crowd-pleasing pasta salad that’s easy to prepare and ideal for gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 24 ounces (1½ – 16-ounce) packages frozen cheese tortellini
- 1 cup chopped salami (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 bell pepper
- ¼ cup diced green bell 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 Tortellini: Cook the cheese tortellini according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool them quickly and stop further cooking.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled tortellini, chopped salami, halved cherry tomatoes, quartered cucumber, sliced black olives, mozzarella pearls, thinly sliced red onion, diced red and green bell peppers, chopped fresh basil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper.
- Add Parmesan Cheese: Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the combined salad ingredients to add sharp, salty flavor.
- Add Dressings: Drizzle the zesty Italian salad dressing and pesto sauce evenly over the salad components for a flavorful coating.
- Toss Salad: Gently toss all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined and coated with the dressing, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
- Chill Salad: Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Serve: Before serving, toss the salad again to redistribute dressing and ingredients. Garnish with additional fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Storage: Keep the salad in an airtight container refrigerated for 3–4 days. It is best served cold but can be brought to room temperature if preferred.
- Make Ahead: The salad tastes better after several hours in the fridge; toss before serving.
- Freezing: Not recommended as tortellini and dressing do not freeze and thaw well, resulting in mushy texture.
- Tips: Avoid overcooking tortellini to prevent it from becoming mushy. Cutting ingredients into uniform sizes ensures balanced bites. Chilling enhances flavor melding.
Keywords: Tortellini Pasta Salad, Cheese Tortellini Salad, Italian Pasta Salad, Cold Pasta Salad, Summer Salad, Easy Pasta Salad