Pepperoni Pasta Salad Recipe
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!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 99kcal
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: 1cup | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 103mg