Pepperoni Pasta Salad

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Make this filling and refreshing pepperoni pasta salad for your next backyard barbecue! This Italian pasta salad is a delicious combination of tortellini, mozzarella, pepperoni, and zesty Italian dressing! This pasta salad is so good, you’ll be going back for seconds!

Overhead shot of pasta salad on a plat and pasta salad in a bowl.

I love a good pasta salad. It satisfies my pasta craving without making me sweat in the middle of summer. Pasta salad is really more of a side dish, I love serving it outside and paired with yummy barbecue. It tastes great when paired with anything from hot dogs to steak. 

If you’re looking for more summer side dishes, make sure to try our recipes for Instant Pot Baked BeansEasy Italian Antipasto SaladRotel Cheese Dip, Red Potato Salad, Instant Pot Apple BBQ Ribs.

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A blue plate of pepperoni pasta salad topped with fresh basil.

❤️Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish. It’s cool and refreshing yet packed full of flavor!

The combination of basil and mozzarella is so fresh and delicious. And the pepperoni and tortellini make this side dish filling enough to be eaten as a main dish.

Are you looking for other ways to use tortellini? Try our recipe for Instant Pot Cheeseburger Tortellini Soup or Easy Instant Pot Tortellini Soup!

📋Ingredients

A large glass bowl of tortellini next to a bottle of salad dressing and other ingredients for pasta salad.

Pepperoni: Cut a whole pepperoni stick and slice it into 1/2-inch thick slices, then quarter each slice. Presliced pepperoni will not be thick enough and will change the outcome of the pasta salad.

Mozzarella: Look for whole mozzarella vs shredded as you will want to cut the mozzarella into chunks.

Scroll to the bottom for the complete list of ingredient measurements and printable recipe card.

📖 Ingredient Swaps

Dried basil: 1 tablespoon dried basil may be substituted for fresh basil.

Gluten-Free: To make this dish gluten-free, swap the tortellini for gluten-free pasta.

Vegetarian: If you want to make a vegetarian pasta salad, substitute the pepperoni for chopped veggies. I recommend sliced black olives and chopped broccoli florets.

🔪Step-by-Step Instructions

A large glass bowl filled with tortellini, mozzarella, and pepperoni.
Step 1: Start by cooking 2 packages of tortellini. Toss the cooked tortellini in olive oil. Spread it on a baking sheet and let it cool for 30 minutes. Once cool, combine the tortellini, mozzarella, and pepperoni in a large bowl.
A large glass bowl filled with pepperoni, tortellini, mozzarella, and Italian dressing.
Step 2: Pour in a bottle of your favorite Italian dressing (or make your own). Stir until the pepperoni pasta salad is evenly coated.
A bowl of pasta salad next to a bottle of Italian dressing and package of fresh basil leaves.
Step 3: For best results, chill the pasta salad for at least 1 hour. Top with fresh basil before serving.

👩🏻‍🍳Expert Cooking Tips

Cooling the tortellini

In this recipe, we recommend lightly coating the cooked pasta with olive oil and spreading it on a cookie sheet in an even layer to cool. It takes about 20-30 minutes for it to come to room temperature.

If you prefer to cook the pasta ahead of time, toss it in oil and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to prepare your pasta salad.

Prepping in advance

Pasta salad actually tastes better if it has had time to sit. We recommend making your pasta salad – with dressing – at least an hour before you’re ready to serve it. Let it chill in the fridge for a while so it has time for the flavors to meld together.

If you want to make the pepperoni pasta salad way in advance, prepare it without the dressing and refrigerate it. Add the dressing when ready to serve.

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💭Recipe FAQs

How long will Pasta Salad last in the fridge?

5-7 days. Uneaten pasta salad should be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Can you freeze pepperoni pasta salad?

Yes, you can freeze pepperoni pasta salad, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure it’s freshly prepared and hasn’t been sitting out for too long.

Portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags, removing excess dressing if it’s mayo-based. Pop it in the freezer as soon as possible to maintain the best texture.

When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight, give it a good stir, and it should be good to go. Just remember, some ingredients might change in texture after freezing, so it might not be exactly the same as when it was fresh, but it should still be delicious!

🥩Serve this with…

Pasta salad is great with traditional barbecue fare. Here are some recipes you may like.

A picture showing the cover images for all three cookbooks written by Aileen Clark.

If you tried this Pepperoni Pasta Salad or any other recipe on my website, I would love it if you could leave me a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below. ❤️

A blue plate of pepperoni pasta salad topped with fresh basil.

Pepperoni Pasta Salad Recipe

Aileen Clark
Make this filling and refreshing pepperoni pasta salad for your next backyard barbecue! This Italian pasta salad is a delicious combination of tortellini, mozzarella, pepperoni, and zesty Italian dressing!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 51 minutes
Course Side Dish Recipes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 99 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 20-ounces packages cheese tortellini
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 8-ounce package fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • 1 7-ounce pepperoni stick, sliced
  • 1 16-ounce bottle zesty Italian dressing
  • Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cook tortellini as instructed on the package. Drain tortellini but do not rinse. Toss tortellini in olive oil. Spread tortellini onto a rimmed cookie sheet and let cool, for about 30 minutes.
  • Once cool, combine tortellini, mozzarella, and pepperoni in a large bowl. Pour in Italian dressing. Stir until the pepperoni pasta salad is evenly coated. For best results, chill for one hour.
  • Top with fresh chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

In this recipe, we recommend lightly coating the cooked pasta with olive oil and spreading it on a cookie sheet in an even layer to cool. It takes about 20-30 minutes for it to come to room temperature.
If you prefer to cook the pasta ahead of time, toss it in oil and store it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to prepare your pasta salad.
Pasta salad actually tastes better if it has had time to sit. We recommend making your pasta salad – with dressing – at least an hour before you’re ready to serve it. Let it chill in the fridge for a while so it has time for the flavors to meld together.
If you want to make the pepperoni pasta salad way in advance, prepare it without the dressing and refrigerate it. Add the dressing when ready to serve.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 103mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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