Tortellini Olive Salad
Tortellini Olive Salad is loaded with cheese-filled tortellini, green and black olives, salami, and marinated in a cheesy Italian dressing! It’s the favorite summer pasta salad at this Nest! It’s a taste treat for the senses!
When I was first married I loved the Pillsbury magazine cookbooks at the check-out stand. This was long before the internet… and long, long before food bloggers took over the world of cooking…ya know…back in the dinosaur period! Lol
I love cookbooks filled with recipes from women who cook for their families. Great everyday family foods! Those are the recipes that last.
Seriously…think about it…biscuits. Chicken-fried steaks. Fried Chicken. Stew. Apple Pie. Chicken and Dumplings. All great recipes that have been around for ages because Grandma’s Granny made them in her kitchen. The Best!
When we purchased our first home, we had a small “house-warming” party. I wanted a fun new appetizer. In my newest Pillsbury cookbook was a recipe for Tortellini Kabobs. They were AMAZING! That was over 25 years ago, and they are still one of the most requested dishes at this Nest.
Well, fast-forward 25+ years. I decided last summer it was time to “update” this recipe. Translation: I didn’t want to sit and shove everything on bamboo skewers any more that were going in the trash! (Seriously friends…my birdies can PACK these babies down in no time flat! Great for a party! Family meal time…not so much so!)
The family favorite got a make-over! All the same ingredients minus the bamboo skewer. The salami is cut into smaller bite-sized pieces too. If it is possible…the newer version is loved even more!
This amazing salad has just FIVE ingredients, plus garnish, and it’s going to knock your socks off!
How To Make The BEST Tortellini Olive Salad
Precook your frozen tortellini per the package directions. Be sure NOT to overcook them. Follow the instructions on the package, and they’ll turn out perfect for this salad. You want them al dente!
TIP: They are going to soak up the dressing, so you really do want them al dente.
Drain the tortellini, after cooking, and both types of olives. (I drain everything together. May as well keep it simple.) We love delicious simple food here at Norine’s Nest.
Place the tortellini and olives in a large bowl. Add the diced salami and about 3/4 of the *Cheese Fantastico bottle of dressing. (Be sure to shake the dressing well before adding it to the salad.)
TIP: Before you start to panic because your store doesn’t carry Bernstein’s Cheese Fantastico dressing…it’s OKAY! Just substitute a really good Italian dressing and 1/4 a cup of finely grated Parmesan Cheese. Voilà! You are good to go.
Let me pause, and let’s talk hard salami for a second…
The original recipe for the Kabobs called for thinly sliced hard salami. This was so you could fold it in half and then into a quarter for the skewer.
In this new version…I cut the thin salami into bite-size pieces to make it easier to serve in “salad” form.
Stir everything together and refrigerate for 2–3 hours or overnight. (Shhhh don’t tell on me, but sometimes I add marinated Artichoke hearts! SO GOOD!)
Stir again before serving to mix in any salad dressing that may have settled. If it is a little dry, add more dressing in, and garnish with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
The Perfect Pasta Salad
Ta-Da! There you have it.
Simple right? It’s not a salad that requires a ton of ingredients. It doesn’t need them. The blend of flavors from the olives and the dressing is pure perfection. Sometimes simple really is better.
The perfect forkful contains at least one olive, one tortellini, and a few slices of salami! (As you can see I’ve done extensive research on this topic!)
Confession time… I am NOT a green olive fan. Not at all! BUT…I LOVE them in this salad! So much… I seek them out so that my fork has one of them on there before I take bite!
My point…if you’re not a green olive lover…give it a chance before you turn up your nose. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
WARNING: This salad is addictive!!! Isn’t it pretty. It draws you into it cheesy clutches, and you can’t let go!
The only way this salad made it on to this dish was because I had to take photos of it for this post. Otherwise, Mars and I stand with forks in hand and “snitch” forkfuls while hovering over the bowl. (We are sad, pathetic human beings!) We seriously could, and have, made a meal out of this salad. It’s so YUMMY!
Pasta Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Mexican Seafood Pasta Salad
- Shrimp Pasta Caesar Salad
- Antipasto Pasta Salad
- Classic Pasta Shrimp Salad
- Muffuletta Olive Pasta Salad
- Moms Tuna Macaroni Salad from Mae’s Menu
Enjoy Friends! Thanks for stopping by my Nest today. Remember to sign up for my Newsletter! You’ll find out every Monday what’s coming that week at Norine’s Nest. Every week is a party filled with lots of tasty recipes, fun crafts, and funny stories.
Remember to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! I’d love to have you join me.
Hugs from my Nest to Yours…
Printable Recipe Card
Tortellini Olive Salad
Ingredients
- 1 19 oz. package frozen cheese tortellini cooked and drained
- 1 6 oz. can of medium size black olives drained
- 1 7 oz jar of manzanilla green, olives, drained
- 1 14 oz. bottle of Bernsteins Cheese Fantastico dressing OR any really good Italian Dressing and 1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan Cheese. Either will work.
- 1/2 pound hard salami thinly sliced and cut into bite size pieces OR about 4 slices cut into 1/4 inch thick slices and cubed.
- Chopped parsley and grated Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Follow directions on package of tortellini for cooking pasta al dente. Be sure NOT to over cook the pasta.
- Cook Pasta and drain.
- Drain both types of olives.
- Place the tortellini and olives in a large bowl. Add the diced hard salami.
- Add 3/4 the bottle, of well shaken, Cheese Fantastico dressing.
- Stir until all ingredients are well combined. All to chill for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Stir just before serving. If needed, add more dressing. Garnish with Parmesan Cheese and chopped Parsley.
- Serve.
- Will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Video
Nutrition
About the Author
Meet The Author
Hi! I'm Norine, the cook, baker, and recipe creator behind Norine's Nest. I love sharing and creating recipes that invite family, friends, and neighbors to gather around the dinner table. Sharing good food and creating memories with those we love brings me happiness. Thanks for stopping by my Nest!
Do you ever use Kalamati olives and Olive Garden Italian dressing?
Hi Lisa!
Yes! I have used both in this salad and they work beautifully! It really is a great “Base” salad to build upon. I would recommend adding about 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese if you use the Olive Garden Dressing. It just adds a little extra “pop” to this salad. I’ve added marinated artichoke hearts, sliced peppers, etc.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you love this salad as much as we do. Have a great week!
Happy Nesting!
~Norine
Omg! I just made this to take to our first Christmas party of the season, and I’m secretly hoping no one eats it because I want it all for myself!!!! It’s delicious!! Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Staci!
Thank you SO much! I love this salad and it is a family favorite. I think I would have hid with the salad in a closet somewhere at that party! lol 😉 Hope you had a great time at the Party. Thanks for stopping by and for sharing with me. It always makes my day when friends stop by.
Happy Nesting~
Norine
Thank you so much for the shout out! I am so glad your family loved this salad as much as my family does. It really is our all time favorite pasta salad! Quick, Easy, and one that the men at this Nest Love!
~Norine
Have you served this as a side? What do you usually serve it with? I was thinking of leaving out the salami and serving it with grilled Pork Tenderloin.
Hi Marsha,
I serve it as a side all the time. I serve it with Hamburgers, Pulled Pork, Hot Pastrami Sandwiches, and Grilled chicken. Just to name a few. I think it would be wonderful with grilled Pork Tenderloin. I just made this salad the other day and I added marinated artichoke hearts and mozzarella pearls. Mmmmm. I think it works perfectly as a side dish. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Nesting! 😉
~Norine
Thank you for sharing! I hope everyone at your Nest loves this salad as much as we do! Have a GREAT day!
~Norine
I saw your salad & decided to check it ou. It looks a lot like the paste salad I make, so wanted to compare. Pretty much the same, minus the green olives, which I love! I add a few more ingredients to mine but basically the same.
Also, want to share a note. I had a “nest” also. Bertdy’s Nest, was the name of my sandwich shop.
Hi Roberta!
Aren’t those pasta salads the BEST! I love the idea of adding more. I’m not usually a huge green olive fan, but I absolutely LOVE them in this salad! Love the name of your sandwich shop…anything with “Nest” is awesome! I have no doubt you had fantastic eats! Thanks so much for sharing with me. I LOVE hearing from my readers! It makes my day! Have an AWESOME week!
~ Norine
Made this today, and it should have been so delicious, but I couldn’t find the Bernsteins and used a different Italian dressing that was a little pricey thinking it would be good. ICK! Had to throw it out. Gonna try it again, this time with the old standard Good Seasonings.
Hi Mary!
Shoot! I feel awful that this didn’t turn out right for you. It’s not the world’s most inexpensive salad either. I’m so happy you’re going to give it another try. I promise it really is our family favorite. I know that Bernsteins is hard to find in the stores. I find it at Wal-mart and when I do, I stock up! When I can’t find it I use Kraft Sun Dried Tomato dressing and add about 1/4 – 1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan Cheese. (In the shaker jar). It’s a good 2nd to the Bernsteins dressing. Hope that helps and I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you. Thanks for sharing. Please let me know how it works with the Good Seasonings…just be sure to add some Parmesan to it. It’s the Cheese in the Cheese Fantastico that adds the extra “pop” to the Italian dressing.
~Norine
Thank you for sharing! I really appreciate it! Look at all those amazing and yummy salads! Wow!