Tortellini pasta salad is an easy to make recipe that is like a cold Italian antipasto but in a bowl, combining all the classic ingredients like artichoke hearts, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, olives, pepperoni, onions and tomatoes.
It is a great side to any summer bbq staples or could be a nice light lunch. Chopped tomatoes, peppers and cucumber are perfect and refreshing all by themselves. But in set with pasta and cheese such as feta or parmesan or both it becomes soft, delicious, tasty, yammy, full of flavors. I’m obsessed with it. It is one of my favorite especially in spring or summerwhen I don’t want to eat warm salads or bowl of meal prepared on heat – just easy, quick, crispy, creamy – well, I’m simply classic hearty eater, ha-ha. But just think it over: peeled zucchini, shredded jalapenos (or other spices in case you don’t like very spicy food), grilled chicken or shrimp, even pepperoni or bacon, cup of variety of dried herbs, with olive or vinegar dressings, sundried tomato as topping, bottle of red wine and sweet cherry, pineapple or banana for desert…But let’s return to our recipe.

The method: To make this salad is a piece of cake : You can use any store bought cheese tortellini from cold or freezer section.

Cook your pasta in a boiling water according to package instructions and drain in a colander. There is no need to rinse.

Meanwhile get working on your other ingredients — cut the tomatoes in halves, I prefer using grape or cherry variety because they are more meaty and less juicy, drain the canned artichoke hearts and roughly chop them, dice your red onion and slice the pepperoni pieces in halves.

Cut the mozzarella cheese into cubes.
Drain the canned olives.

I am using canned sliced black olives but the salad is great with any olive variety like calamata or green olives.
Just make sure they are pitted. Once the noodles are cool transfer them into the bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and Italian dressing.

Toss gently to combine and coat all the ingredients with dressing, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and voila your salad is ready.

It can be served right away however I find it best when chilled for couple of hours in the fridge.
I love the combination of all the favorite Italian flavors in this salad! But you can absolutely customize it to fit your personal taste or the content of your fridge.

You can substitute pepperoni for any Italian salami or prosciutto or leave it out all together to make it a vegetarian option. It is delicious with any other of you favorite veggies !

I greatly enjoy this salad hope you will as well.