This tortellini pasta salad is everything you want in a summer side dish. It’s fresh, flavorful, and incredibly easy to throw together. Loaded with tender cheese tortellini, savory salami, juicy tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella, it’s a simple recipe that always disappears fast.

We make it just as often for lunch the next day as we do for a side dish. And honestly, I actually make this is as our main dish quite often during the summer. It’s so fast and fresh and doesn’t heat up the house. It is a winner!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Summers are all about pasta salad recipes and this easy tortellini pasta salad is fresh, flavorful, perfect for hot summer days and done in just 15 minutes! Here is what you need:

• Cheese Tortellini: the hearty base that makes this salad extra satisfying
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor to the pasta as it cooks
• Mozzarella (marinated): adds a savory, salty bite
• Salami: bring creaminess and built-in flavor
• Black Olives: add a rich, salty bite that brings a classic Italian flavor to the salad
• Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: fresh and juicy
• Red and Orange Bell Peppers: add a sweet, crisp crunch and bright color
• English Cucumbers: add a fresh, cool crunch with a mild flavor
• Red Onion: adds a sharp bite and a little zing to balance the flavors
• Fresh Basil: bright, herby finish
• Italian Dressing: adds a tangy, herby flavor that ties everything together

How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad

Don’t blink because you might miss this…

1. Cook the tortellini: Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook until they float to the top. Drain and let cool.
2. Combine ingredients: Once cooled, add tortellini to a large bowl with salami, mozzarella (including oil and herbs), tomatoes, and basil.
3. Toss and serve: Gently toss everything together until well combined. Season with salt to taste and serve.

👉 Serve immediately or chill for later—this pasta salad is delicious either way.

Variations and Substitutions

This tortellini s

Easy Italian Pasta Salad [+ Video]

This easy Italian Pasta Salad is a crowd-pleasing dish perfect for summer picnics or potlucks. Packed with fresh vegetables, cheese, pepperoni and dressed with a zesty homemade Italian dressing, this salad is sure to be a hit. Plus, check out the recipe video for step-by-step instructions!

Have you made our Greek Pasta Salad? It’s really good and one of the most popular recipes on our site. Here’s the thing though, not everyone is a fan of feta cheese, so we felt like we had no choice but to bust out an amazingly easy pasta salad recipe complete with mozzarella cheese, fresh and flavorful homemade Italian dressing, and meat and colorful vegetables galore.

There’s something about pasta salad recipes and summertime that just make the world happy. I get almost giddy the closer we get to summer just thinking about dusting off the BBQ and pulling out the lawn chairs for outdoor cookouts with friends. Make some grilled chicken and grilled corn on the cob with this pasta salad with Italian dressing, and you have yourself the perfect summer dinner!

What’s in Italian Pasta Salad?

I’ll be honest with you — our kids totally pick out some of the ingredients in this homemade pasta salad. Two of our kids love straight up cold pepperoni. So Cade and I are left to eat whatever’s leftover from this pasta salad with pepperoni. The joys of parenthood!

To make this pasta salad recipe, you’ll need:

• Rotini Pasta: Any short, sturdy pasta works great like penne, farfalle, fusilli, macaroni, etc.
• Pepperoni
• Salami
• Black Olives
• Mozzarella Cheese: Fresh mozzarella balls are preferred.
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly grated
• Bell Pepper: I prefer a red, yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Tomatoes: Grape or cherry tomatoes work great.
• Red Onion
• Italian Salad Dressing: You can grab some at the grocery store or make it at home with the recipe we’ve included below.

The measurements needed for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Italian Pasta Salad

Don’t let all the mix-ins fool you, this Italian pasta salad with pepperoni is as easy as it gets! It’s just a matter of cooking the pasta, choppi