Muffaletta Tortellini Salad + Video
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Muffaletta Tortellini Salad is a scrumptious Italian pasta salad with the classic flavors of a muffuletta sandwich rolled into one super simple, cold summer side dish!!
You’ll be making this easy Italian pasta salad recipe all year long, because it’s the perfect use for leftover ham!!
Have you ever been to New Orleans? Nawlin’s as the locals call it.
We had an awesome trip last year and I fell in love with the food! Of course, we made a stop for beignets and a Cafe Du Monde Frozen Café Au Lait.
My favorite NOLA food of the whole vacation was a muffuletta sandwich! I may have had several, and even taken one to the airport with me…
What is a muffuletta?
It’s a Sicilian sandwich that originated in New Orleans more than 100 years ago. Honestly, I have never had a sandwich quite so good in my life.
Loaded with my favorite Italian deli meats and cheeses, muffulettas are topped with the most amazing olive salad you can find.
I have been thinking about it since we left Louisiana last summer, knowing that I would be making a fabulous marinated olive salad with olives and oils.
Although I had a ton of ideas, I decided on an Italian pasta salad for this amazing spin on the classic muffuletta recipe.
Muffaletta Tortellini Salad
Bursting with Italian flavor from the salami and ham to cheeses and olive salad, this Italian pasta salad is great served cold or hot.
Because pasta salads are so popular during the spring holidays, this is a fantastic use for leftover ham!!
Olive salad is packed with olives, Italian vegetables and spices to create the most amazing flavor combination you can add to pasta or a sandwich.
You are going to love this muffaletta pasta salad. I ate it for a week straight.
Helpful Tips for making Muffaletta Pasta Salad
- Meats and cheeses and be purchased at your grocery store deli counter. As for them to be thick cut (approximately 1/4”- 1/2”).
- Giardiniera is an Italian mix of pickled vegetables and can be found in your grocery store near the pickles and olives.
- Recipe can be halved.
- Salad can be prepped ahead several days ahead by making the olive salad and placing in the refrigerator. Cut meats and cheeses and refrigerate.
On the day you wish to serve cook tortellini and prepare salad. Muffaletta Tortellini Salad will keep for several days to a week in the fridge.
Kitchen Tools You Need
- Colander – This kitchen essential makes life so much easier! You can use it to drain the tortellini for this pasta salad.
- Cutting Boards – I have an assortment of cutting boards. This set is nice, because I can use one for uncooked meats and another for fresh produce.
I use my cutting boards daily, so it’s worth the investment. - Quality Kitchen Knives – A good quality knife set makes prep time much quicker, and it’s important for safety as well.
If you make one kitchen investment, I believe it should be in quality knives.
Other Easy Pasta Salad Recipes
Muffaletta Tortellini Salad + Video
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Genoa salami, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 ounces mortadella, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 ounces capicola, or ham, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, cut into bite size cubes
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into bite size cubes
- 32 ounces frozen tortellini
Olive Salad
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 6 ounces Italian giardiniera, chopped (usually sold in 6 ounce jars)
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives
- 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
Instructions
- Prepare the olive salad: In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, oregano, parsley and black pepper. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Prepare deli meats and cheeses: Cut meats and cheeses into bite size pieces, approximately 1/4”- 1/2” in size. Toss well to combine and coat everything well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Remove from heat, drain water and add tortellini back to the cooking pot.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of reserved olive oil over drained tortellini and stir to combine. Add olive salad to drained tortellini and gently stir to combine. Toss in chopped meats and cheeses and stir again.
- Transfer pasta salad to a serving bowl to serve immediately, or to an airtight container to serve within 5 days.Enjoy!
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published July 2014, updated and republished June 2022.
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Olive oil with lemon peel sounds wonderful
The recipe looks yummy. I am vegetarian, so would leave the meat out, but keep the cheese! Yum!
And what a wonderful giveaway….WOW!
Love your blog!
~Lolly
I'd try the garlic olive oil.
I would try the STAR pimento stuffed olives first. Yum!
This recipe looks delicious.
Any of the displayed products in the above photo. However, at the top of my list is the balsamic vinegar. One can never go wrong with balsamic vinegar. Delicous!!!!!!!!
I already use the olive oil but I haven't tried the olives! They will be on my nest shopping list!
Garlic olive oil
The STAR Spanish Manzanilla Olives Stuffed with Minced Pimiento 2.5 oz. i can't wait to make this. It looks so yumm!
I think my comment disappeared or I wasn't logged into google ha
This recipe looks amazing! SO delicious!! I would try the STAR Spanish Ripe Medium Pitted Olives 2.5 oz., although the entire prize pack sounds like great items!
Thank you for the chance to win!
Joey J
STAR California Extra Virgin Olive Oil 16 oz. – I need a new olive oil!
Spanish Queen Olives and Balsamic Vinegar will be the first I'll try.
balsamic vinegar!!
I would love to try the olive oil with lemon peel. And the Queen olives sound delicious.
balsamic vinegar followed by ev oliveoil
adding to my grocery list. YUM!!
I was in a cooking class last night and one of the other students was asking about muffaletta sandwiches & salads. Coincidence? I think NOT!
I love the idea of this salad. My fave muffy is at Central Grocery because they tend to have larger chunks of the olive salad. Love love love the olive salad. Can't wait to try this salad!
I'd love to win!! Everything looks so good.
I tried & love most of line, but I have never tried the STAR Capers. So I would try them first! Thanks
I would love to try the Original Garlic Olive Oil 17 first!
This salad looks delicious!!! Going to try it. Will be nice when it's too hot outside to cook.
I'm thinking the olives, but then again the Garlic Oil sounds amazing
I would have to try the olives first. I would have to hide some of them from my husband, he loves olives.
I'd try the STAR Rosemary Infused Olive Oil first.