Antipasto Tortellini Salad
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Antipasto Tortellini Salad combines everything you love about a classic Italian antipasto platter into one colorful, satisfying dish. Cheese-filled tortellini is tossed with marinated artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, salami, Provolone, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh parsley, then dressed in a bright, zesty Italian vinaigrette. This tortellini pasta salad is perfect for potlucks, picnics, cookouts, or easy lunches throughout the week.
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
This Antipasto Tortellini Salad is everything you want in a pasta salad—it’s colorful and hearty with bold Italian flavors. It’s easy to make ahead, perfect for entertaining, and just as welcome at a backyard cookout as it is on a weeknight dinner table.
I made it to take to an impromptu get-together, and it was a hit! What I loved the most was that, aside from the tortellini, parsley, and onion, it’s made with pantry and jarred ingredients, so it’s easy to throw together anytime without a lot of prep.
This Antipasto Tortellini Salad recipe is:
- Loaded with flavor! Cheese tortellini, salami, Provolone, marinated artichokes, roasted peppers, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes deliver classic antipasto flavors in every bite.
- Perfect for entertaining. It serves a crowd and is ideal for potlucks, picnics, cookouts, and holiday gatherings.
- Make-ahead friendly. The flavors meld and become even better after chilling.
- Easy to customize. Swap cheeses, meats, or vegetables with your favorite antipasto ingredients. You can also vary the type of pasta! Try bowties or penne if you wish.
Whether you’re feeding a crowd or looking for a hearty side dish that can double as a light meal, this versatile Antipasto Tortellini Salad is sure to become a favorite!
How to Make This Tortellini Salad:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this tortellini salad recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Cheese Tortellini: Cheese tortellini is small, ring-shaped, cheese-stuffed pasta. The tender pasta and creamy cheese filling balance the salty meat, tangy vegetables, and zesty dressing. Refrigerated fresh tortellini is my first choice because it has the best texture and cooks quickly. Look for it in the refrigerated section. Frozen tortellini would be my second choice.
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts: These pantry staples are artichoke hearts preserved in olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and seasonings. They bring bright Mediterranean flavor to the tortellini salad, and, to save money, the flavorful marinade doubles as part of the dressing.
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper: Use drained roasted red peppers in a jar for convenience. They provide the same sweet, smoky flavor as homemade roasted peppers with no roasting or peeling required, but you can certainly roast your own if you prefer.
- Salami: Any dry Italian salami can be used, such as Genoa, Soppressata, and even pepperoni.
- Provolone Cheese: Sold at most deli counters and in the specialty cheese section, Provolone is easy to cube and holds its shape well in pasta salads. You can also use Mozzarella cheese. Mini fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) will work, but only if the salad is served immediately and you don’t expect leftovers because it tends to dissolve in an acidic dressing.
- Kalamata Olives: Their briny, rich flavor adds depth to this recipe. Pit them yourself, or use pre-pitted for convenience. Cut them in half lengthwise and examine for pit fragments.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Look for them packed in oil in jars in the canned tomato aisle. Drain well before chopping. You can use bagged sun-dried tomatoes, but I highly recommend reconstituting them in a little hot water before using in the salad for the best texture; they can be pretty chewy otherwise.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions in generously salted water, being careful not to overcook it. Drain in a colander and cool under cold running tap water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Add the red onion, artichokes, roasted red peppers, Provolone, salami, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley to the tortellini.
- Toss together and pour about half over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add additional dressing as desired. Done!
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- Don’t overcook the tortellini. Cook it just until tender, but still al dente, according to the package directions. If it’s overcooked, it can split open or become mushy after being tossed with the dressing.
- Rinsing the cooked tortellini under cold water stops the cooking process, cools it quickly, and prevents it from becoming mushy.
- Chop the ingredients into similar-sized pieces. Cutting the salami, Provolone, artichokes, roasted peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes into similar bite-sized pieces ensures you get a little of everything in each forkful.
- Let the tortellini salad chill before serving. Refrigerating the salad for at least 30 minutes allows the flavors to meld. Toss again before serving and add a splash of the reserved dressing if necessary. The tortellini will absorb some of the dressing as it sits, so a drizzle of the reserved dressing, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, or a pinch of salt will brighten the flavors.
Recipe FAQs:
Frozen tortellini is certainly another option, but I don’t recommend dried because of the texture.
Yes, you can make up to 1 day in advance. Leave the dressing off, or just add a small amount to keep the tortellini from drying out. Refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately. When ready to serve, toss the salad and add additional dressing.
You don’t want to add all the dressing at one time because the pasta will absorb it and it could become mushy.
Serve with:
- Chicken Bruschetta
- Chicken Milanese
- Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak with Peperonata
- Italian Stuffed Bell Peppers
More great Pasta Salad recipes!
- Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad
- Caprese Pasta Salad
- Southwestern Orzo Pasta Salad
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
Get all my side salad recipes at Side Dish Salad Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Antipasto Tortellini Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- Salt
- 1 package (20-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- 1 jar (12-ounce) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped, reserving 1/2 cup of the marinade
- 1 jar (12-ounce) roasted red bell pepper, drained and coarsely chopped (or two fresh roasted red bell peppers)
- 8 ounces Provolone cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 4 ounces Genoa or Soppressata salami, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup pitted and halved Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup drained and coarsely chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Dressing
- 1/2 cup reserved marinade from the artichoke hearts
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more if needed (approximately 1 large lemon)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to tolerance
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Cook the tortellini according to the package directions in generously salted water, being careful not to overcook it.
- Drain in a colander and cool under cold running tap water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the red onion, artichokes, roasted red peppers, Provolone, salami, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and parsley.
Dressing
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour about half over the salad and toss gently to coat. Add additional dressing as desired.
- For the best flavor, refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow the tortellini to absorb some of the dressing. Toss again before serving, adding more reserved dressing if needed.
Notes
- Refrigerated fresh tortellini has the best texture and cooks quickly. Frozen tortellini will also work.
- Roast your own red peppers if you prefer.
- You can use Mozzarella cheese in place of Provolone. Mini fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini) will work, but only if the salad is served immediately and you don’t expect leftovers because it tends to dissolve.
- You can use bagged sun-dried tomatoes, but they need to be reconstituted in hot water first.
- Cook the tortellini just until al dente according to the package directions. Overcooked tortellini can split or become mushy.
- Cool the tortellini quickly. Rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking, then drain well so excess water doesn’t dilute the dressing.
- Chop the salami, Provolone, artichokes, roasted peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes into similar-sized pieces so every bite has a little of everything.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Toss again before serving and refresh with the reserved dressing.
- Can be made up to 1 day in advance. Leave the dressing off, or just add a small amount to keep the tortellini from drying out.
- Refrigerate the salad and the dressing separately.
- When ready to serve, toss the salad and add additional dressing.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
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