Antipasto Tortellini Salad
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.
Servings: 8
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
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- 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
Serving: 1 | Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 731mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 698IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 1mg