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Italian Tortellini and Pepperoni Pasta Salad from The Food Charlatan
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4.60 from 5 votes

Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe

A classic Italian pasta salad, made with cheese-filled tortellini, tons of pepperoni, Parmesan, and olives. A simple balsamic dressing pulls it together.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 10
Calories: 559kcal
Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

  • 1 & 1/2 pounds refrigerated tortellini*
  • 5-7 ounces pepperoni slices chopped
  • 8 ounces mozzarella chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 4 ounces Parmesan chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup green onions chopped
  • 1 dry pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 can medium black olives
  • 1 (6-oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
  • 1/2 cup deli-sliced pepperoncini's
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar white or regular
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Boil the tortellini according to package instructions. (They should only boil 2-3 minutes. I added salt to the boiling water for more flavor, but it's not necessary.) Drain the tortellini and add to a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil so that they don't stick together.
  • Chop the pepperoni into quarters and add to the bowl.
  • Add the chopped mozzarella, chopped Parmesan, green onions, cherry tomatoes, black olives (halved if you want), artichoke hearts, and pepperoncinis to the bowl.
  • Add the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to a blender and blend until smooth. Or use could add the ingredients to a bowl and use an immersion blender. Or you could mince the garlic finely and add it to a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar and Italian seasoning, then slowly drizzle the olive oil in while whisking (so that it emulsifies.)
  • Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
  • You can serve this right away, but it's even better if you refrigerate it for a few hours before serving. You can make this 24 hours in advance. Toss again before serving.

Notes

*You could also use a 20 ounce package and it would be fine. You might not need to use all the dressing.
**You can use white balsamic vinegar if you don't want the tortellini to be dark. The photos here show the recipe with white balsamic, because I had some leftover from making this Strawberry Cucumber Salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 559kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 647IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 388mg | Iron: 3mg