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Italian Grinder Tortellini Salad

Italian grinder tortellini salad with cheese tortellini, Italian meats, provolone, and banana peppers for a sub-sandwich inspired deli salad. Chilled for 2 hours so the dressing clings to every bite, then finished with 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: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

cheese tortellini
  • 1 lb cheese tortellini
Italian meats
  • 8 oz salami quartered
  • 8 oz pepperoni quartered
  • 8 oz ham diced
provolone cheese
  • 8 oz provolone cheese cubed
vegetables
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup banana peppers sliced
  • 0.5 cup red onion diced
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
Italian dressing and seasonings
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Method
 

Cook and cool the tortellini
  1. Cook the cheese tortellini according to package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Build the grinder-style salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine tortellini, salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion.
Season the dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, mix Italian dressing with Italian seasoning and garlic powder until evenly combined.
Dress the salad
  1. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat every ingredient.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours so the flavors meld.
Finish and serve
  1. Just before serving, add shredded iceberg lettuce and toss again for a fresh, crisp crunch.

Notes

Pro tip: Rinse the tortellini with cold water and chill the dressed salad before adding lettuce to keep it crisp. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium Italian dressing and reduced-sodium deli meats if available.