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Italian Grinder Tortellini Salad

Italian grinder tortellini salad brings together cheese tortellini, Italian meats, provolone, and banana peppers for a deli-style sub sandwich salad. Cooked tortellini is rinsed, tossed with Italian dressing and seasoning, then chilled so every bite tastes bright and crisp with fresh iceberg lettuce.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese tortellini and Italian meats
  • 1 lb cheese tortellini
  • 8 oz salami
  • 8 oz pepperoni
  • 8 oz ham
  • 8 oz provolone cheese
Vegetables
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup banana peppers
  • 0.5 cup red onion
  • 2 cup iceberg lettuce
Dressing
  • 1 cup Italian dressing
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and rinse tortellini
  1. Bring water to a boil in a Dutch oven, then cook cheese tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
  2. Spread the rinsed tortellini on a sheet pan to cool slightly while you prep the rest of the salad.
Build the salad base
  1. Add tortellini, salami, pepperoni, ham, provolone cheese, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion to a large bowl and toss to combine. Make sure the meats and cheese are evenly distributed.
Season and chill
  1. Mix Italian dressing with Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a small bowl until the seasoning is evenly dispersed. Pour the dressing over the salad.
  2. Toss the salad until coated, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld. Keep it covered while chilling.
Finish before serving
  1. Just before serving, add shredded iceberg lettuce to the chilled salad. Toss again so the lettuce stays crisp and bright.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the tortellini well with cold water and cool it briefly before mixing—this prevents the salad from turning cloudy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; freeze not recommended because lettuce loses crispness when thawed. For a lighter option, use low-sodium Italian dressing and lean turkey salami/pepperoni if you want less sodium without changing the salad build.