Tortellini Pasta Salad

By Ali Slagle

Updated April 1, 2025

Tortellini Pasta Salad
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(938)
Comments
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Italian sandwiches don’t hold up well, but pasta salads do, so transform your go-to deli order into a make-ahead pasta salad that’s hearty, punchy and not at all soggy. Instead of regular pasta, this recipe uses cheese-filled tortellini for soft, creamy bites. There’s plenty of salami too, of course, along with sweet and sharp roasted red peppers, balsamic vinegar, red onion and arugula. But it’s adaptable depending on your personal preferences: Add more vegetables, such as frozen corn or cauliflower, or briny olives or capers; skip the greenery, or make a grain salad by swapping the pasta for farro.

Featured in: It’s Time to Love Your Desk Lunches

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Salt and black pepper
  • About 20 ounces cheese tortellini
  • ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1(10- to 12-ounce) jar sliced roasted red peppers, drained
  • 2ounces salami or soppressata, cut into bite-size pieces
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Crushed red pepper
  • 3big handfuls baby arugula
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a pot of heavily salted water, boil the tortellini according to package directions. Drain into a colander and shake dry. Add the red onion to the colander and rinse the pasta and onion under cold water until the pasta is cool. Shake dry. Dry the pot and return the tortellini and onion to it.

  2. Step 2

    Add the peppers, salami, oil and vinegar and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper until the salad is flavorful. Stir in the arugula. (If making ahead, pack the arugula on top of the pasta in an airtight container, refrigerate for up to 3 days, then stir to combine.)

Ratings

5 out of 5
938 user ratings
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Comments

Stacy

@Greg I added about two stalks of celery diced fine and thought it added nice crunch and flavor.

Lee, KY

I have made my own version of this, but with red wine vinegar and chunks of provolone added, along with some basil and oregano. Oh, so yummy on a summer's day with crusty bread!

Greg

Looks great. Needs a little crunch, maybe? Toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts, croutons, or a sprinkle of Panko crumbs before serving?

Sue

Really nice idea but bland as written. Needs more vinegar. Chill the tortellini and onions before adding other ingredients and dressing. Use salami instead of hard soppressata. Shaved parm would be good. Add marinated artichoke hearts. It's antipasti plus in a bowl.

Rosa Icela

Substituted the balsamic for red wine vinegar. Added chopped grape tomatoes, Kalamata olives, flat parsley and capers. Good base for a variety of ingredients.

Hannah

Fantastic, fun recipe! I love acidic foods and pasta so this was perfect for me. I meal prepped this recipe and it was great cold. I did a 'quick pickle' with red onion in half of the balsamic vinegar & added parmesan. Next time, I think I'll probably do half peppers and half sun-dried tomatoes and add more parmesan - no meat for me. When I packed the lunch as advised in the recipe (arugula on top), I also added a bit of EVOO and balsamic. YUM.

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