This delicious tortellini pasta salad with chicken is so easy to make, and bursting with flavor. It’s perfect for summer picnics, a light summer meal, or the most popular side dish at your next potluck!
This Italian tortellini pasta salad combines tender tortellini pasta, shredded chicken, and a medley of fresh vegetables all tossed in zesty Italian dressing. It’s loaded with lots of fresh veggies, including cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, and more – and is super customizable, so you can make the delicious side dish according to your own tastes, and those who are going to be enjoying it with you.
It’s the perfect side dish for picnics, potlucks, or barbecues. It would be a great option for Memorial Day, a Fourth of July picnic, a summer bbq, a baby shower, neighborhood potluck, a Christmas party, or even a non traditional Thanksgiving side dish. It’s also a great meal prep option for light lunches all week long.
It’s super easy to make and incredibly delicious. You only need about 10 ingredients, and about 20 minutes of prep time, and your salad is ready!
Ingredients needed:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- cheese tortellini – I love adding tortellini, it takes this pasta salad to a whole new level.
- shredded chicken
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumber
- red onion
- bell pepper – pick your favorite, or use half of two bell peppers, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, etc.
- black olives
- parmesan cheese
- pepperoncini peppers
- Italian dressing – pick your favorite store-bought Italian dressing, or make a homemade Italian dressing.
How to make Tortellini Pasta Salad?
- Cook the tortellini according to the package instructions, for al dente pasta. Drain out the water, and rinse the noodles with cold water to stop them from continuing to cook.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta, shredded chicken, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, black olives, pepperonicinis and parmesan cheese to a large bowl. Toss them together until combined.
- Pour your favorite Italian dressing over the top of the pasta salad and toss the ingredients gently to coat them evenly in the dressing.
- Let the salad chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. Toss the salad again before serving and taste it to see if you need to add more dressing. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks:
- Choose your favorite vegetables. Feel free to add, take away, or substitute vegetables based on your preference. Leave out any of the veggies you don’t like, and add some extras that you do. Some other delicious vegetables would be artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli florets, kalamata olives, you name it. This recipe is super customizable.
- Make this pasta salad vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and salami, if desired. Add in some extra veggies, or some chickpeas to bulk it up.
- Add some more cheese, like feta cheese, mozzarella cheese pearls, cheddar cheese cubes, etc.
- Use your favorite Italian dressing, or make your own. I love using Olive Garden’s Signature Italian Dressing, which you can find at most local grocery stores, like Walmart, etc.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions:
This is a great make ahead recipe because tortellini pasta salad only gets better with time in the fridge. It can be made a few hours, or even the day beforehand and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Toss the salad before serving, and add more dressing as needed if the noodles soaked a lot of it up.
It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, though it will be best on that first or second day for an event.
This Italian tortellini salad is such a great dish that combines Italian flavors, crunchy vegetables, tender chicken, and cheesy tortellini pasta. It’s a great side dish that is going to be the first to go at your next potluck.
More pasta salad recipes:
More potluck favorites:
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Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- 20 oz cheese Tortellini
- 16 oz shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
- 4 oz salami (diced)
- 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 2.25 oz sliced black olives
- 2 TBS sliced pepperoncini
- 12 oz Italian dressing (add to your discretion)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Cook tortellini noodles in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain out the water, and rinse the pasta in cold water, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the tortellini, chicken, salami, tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, parmesan, olives, and pepperoncinis. Toss them together.
- Add the dressing over the top and stir it to coat everything evenly.
- Refrigerate for 2-4 hours to let the flavors meddle, or enjoy right away. Serve cold.
Jill Komarek says
Where’s the “printable” recipe card??
Aimee says
So sorry about that, it’s in the post now.