Easy Tuscan Tortellini Salad

If you like tortellini, you’ll love this Easy Tuscan Tortellini Salad. Made with several types of veggies, feta cheese, and an Italian dressing, it’s a flavor powerhouse.

Why You’ll Love This Italian Dish

I love a salad with all the fixings for a light dinner. This Tuscan salad is no exception. Just like most salads with a light dressing, it’s filling but not heavy. Tortellini makes this salad extra special, giving it a rich Italian flavor.

I use store-bought tortellini to make the dish quick and easy to make. While I like to make most of my food homemade, sometimes you just need an easy salad to throw together. If you want, you can always use homemade.

Ingredients

• Tortellini - bought pre-made for quick fixing
• Veggies - I tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and bell peppers
• Olives - chopped
• Pepperoni - There are some great options out there for pepperoni to use!
• Fresh Mozzarella - you can also use feta is you prefer.
• Tuscan Dressing- I am including the recipe for mine below, but you can also use storebought if you prefer.

How to Make a Tuscan Salad

Start by preparing your tortellini according to the instructions on the package. I like to drain the pasta and then rinse it in cool water when it’s finished.

Next, you’ll prepare the veggies. You can chop them all to your preferred sizes. Chop the olives and pepperoni, as well.

Combine all the veggies, pasta, pepperoni, and cheese and gently mix with a spatula. Add dressing to the salad gently folding in with the spatula.

Chill ahead of dinner or make it right before dinner is served. Enjoy!

What Is Tortellini?

Tortellini is an Italian pasta that is croissant or circular in shape and filled with cheese or meat. It’s similar to its ravioli cousin, but they aren’t exactly the same.

Tortellini are traditionally stuffed with ricotta cheese, but they have also been known to be stuffed with other ingredients, including pork loin. The classic tortellini dough is made of eggs and flour.

It’s kneaded together and then flattened until it is incredibly thin. The filling is placed in little squares of the tortellini dough and then rolled to create a croissant or crescent-shaped pasta. Traditionally, in Italy, they are cooked only in meat stock!

Notes

• You can use whatever vegetables you like for your salad. This is where preferences come into play. I adore bell peppers, onions, you name it! But you can choose your favorite veggies, as long as you have enough to make the salad.
• You could try and make your own tortellini if you were inclined to do so. Of course, that would drastically increase your time, so that’s something to keep in mind if you decide to do that.
• You can make a homemade dressing if you prefer, or purchase something premade from the store. I like Newman’s Family Italian.

How can I make this salad vegetarian?

You could substitute beans for pepperoni. Cannellini beans would taste quite good in this salad. Additionally, choose tortellini that doesn’t have pork or meat products in it.

Can I use different meat in place of pepperoni?

You sure can. Some ideas include salami, bacon, or prosciutto. Again, as I said before, just pick your favorite and go with it.

Other Salad Ideas

• Peach caprese salad
• Mediterranean lentil salad
• Green goddess pasta salad
• Fruit and microgreen salad
• Strawberry basil salad
• Shaved brussel sprout salad
• Vegetarian couscous salad
• carrot salad
• Superfood salad

• Salads