This recipe makes a delicious pasta salad filled with pasta, tortellini, tomatoes, salami, mozzarella, and arugula tossed with pesto! It's a unique but simple pasta salad that is always a crowd pleaser.
This a favorite summer recipe of mine. It's a cold dish for those hot days and can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge! If you're looking for other cold, prep-friendly dishes, also check out my Dijon Herb Potato Salad. Both of these recipes are great to bring to a BBQ or potluck.
Ingredients
- Bowtie pasta
- Tortellini (I usually use cheese or spinach and cheese)
- Salami (whole, not pre-sliced)
- Mozzarella
- Arugula
- Cherry tomatoes
- Pesto
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Cook pasta and tortellini accordion to package instructions until al dente. Then, strain and let cool.
Toss the pasta, tortellini, salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, and arugula together.
Toss in the pesto until coated.
Hint: Cook the pasta and tortellini in salted water for the best flavor.
Substitutions
- Gluten free - use gluten free pasta and tortellini for a gluten free pasta salad
- Vegetarian - leave out the salami to make this dish vegetarian
Variations
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes to whatever spice level you want for a spicy pasta salad
Storage
Store the finished pasta salad in an airtight and refrigerate. Holds up well for 2-3 days.
Top Tip
- Cook the pasta and tortellini until al dente, do not overcook! Cooking to al dente helps the pasta salad hold up best.
- Let pasta cool completely before tossing in other ingredients to keep the mozzarella from melting.
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- ½ lb bowtie pasta If you prefer to skip the tortellini, use 1 lb of pasta
- ½ lb tortellini I typically use cheese or spinach and cheese tortellinis. If you prefer to use tortellini with no regular pasta, use 1 lb of tortellini.
- 8 oz mozzarella cubed
- 4 oz whole salami cubed
- 1 ½ cup arugula packed
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¾ cup pesto
- optional: crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta and tortellini according to package directions.
- Strain pasta and let cool.
- Mix in salami, mozzarella, tomatoes, and arugula. Then, toss with pesto until evenly distributed.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
