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Italian Grinder Tortellini Salad

Italian grinder tortellini salad with cheese tortellini, Italian meats, provolone, and banana peppers—built like a deli sub salad. You’ll chill it for a bold, tangy bite, then toss in crisp iceberg lettuce right before serving.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 545
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini
  • 1 lb cheese tortellini
Salami
  • 8 oz salami quartered
Pepperoni
  • 8 oz pepperoni quartered
Ham
  • 8 oz ham diced
Provolone cheese
  • 8 oz provolone cheese cubed
Cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
Banana peppers
  • 1 cup banana peppers sliced
Red onion
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
Iceberg lettuce
  • 2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
Italian dressing
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Method
 

Cook and cool the tortellini
  1. Cook cheese tortellini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water so the pasta stops cooking and feels firm.
Build the grinder-style salad
  1. Combine cheese tortellini, salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone cheese, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion in a large bowl.
  2. Mix Italian dressing with Italian seasoning and garlic powder until the seasoning is evenly distributed.
  3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat so every piece looks glossy and covered.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld and the tortellini firms up from the chill.
  5. Just before serving, add shredded iceberg lettuce and toss again until the lettuce is bright and evenly mixed throughout.

Notes

Pro tip: rinse the tortellini with cold water right after draining to keep the texture from turning soft. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; for best crunch, keep lettuce separate and add it fresh at serving. Freezing isn’t recommended since lettuce and cured meats won’t hold texture. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat provolone and a lower-sodium Italian dressing.