Tortellini Pasta Salad

By Ali Slagle

Updated March 31, 2025

  • Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(2,418)
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.

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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

  • 2 ounces salami or soppressata, cut into bite-size pieces

  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • Crushed red pepper

  • 3 big handfuls baby arugula

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

75 grams carbs; 75 milligrams cholesterol; 686 calories; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 33 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 830 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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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.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,418 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!

Marisa

@Alison I have found that soaking sliced or chopped red onion in water for about 15 minutes (then draining) really helps mellow out the bite.

MMC

I used red, yellow, and orange bell pepper instead of roasted peppers, to get some crunch into the salad. I also soaked my onions first in ice water (and used less). I used white balsamic vinegar, to avoid brown pasta. I threw in some Greek black olives and some castelvetrano olives, for tang (and because I wanted the containers out of the fridge). I think that the arugula is necessary to get some color and some bite in there. I added it at the last minute, to keep it fresh.

Amanda

I was quite underwhelmed by this! I trusted the process and made exactly according to instructions. Felt it needed more salami, a crunch, more bite, and it just overall tasted a bit bland. Love the idea of arugula in the salad but I think the tortellini overwhelmed. Now I have a hankering and I'm on a mission to find a great Italian pasta salad; this one's not it for me.

Lulu

This is a very fast, easy recipe and makes a large quantity of salad. But this treatment doesn't improve the tending-toward-rubbery texture of store-bought tortellini. I don't think I'll make it a second time.

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