This Grinder Sub Tortellini Salad has all the flavors of a classic Italian grinder in a flavorful pasta salad! Fresh, cheesy, crunchy, and tossed in the dreamiest homemade dressing, this is perfect for BBQs, meal prep, or just when you’re craving something delicious.

Ingredients

20 oz cheese tortellini, cooked and cooled
1 cup salami, diced
1 cup pepperoni, diced
1 cup ham, diced
1 cup mozzarella pearls
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup banana peppers, sliced
½ cup cucumber, diced (optional)

Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2–3 tbsp pepperoncini juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tbsp grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions

Cook tortellini and rinse with cold water.
In a bowl, mix salad ingredients.
Whisk dressing ingredients separately.
Pour dressing over salad, toss, and chill for 30 minutes before serving.

Veggies, meats, cheese, and lettuce in a large salad bowl

Here’s a Quick Video Tutorial!

Perfect Presentation Platters

This Italian Grinder Salad looks so appetizing in just about any bowl. We linked a ton of goodies in our Amazon Storefront, plus here are some of our other favorites:

Large Serving Bowls: For a wooden serving bowl, you could go with this beautiful option from Amazon or this Wooden Serving Bowl from JC Penney (that’s on sale!) or you may also love this beautiful stoneware bowl. For a higher-end choice, I love this white floral bowl by MacKenzie-Childs, as well this everyday bowl from her collection, which also comes in blue and now pink!

Individual Bowls: If you’d prefer to serve this in individual or smaller bowls, Walmart has these beautiful gray stoneware bowls with silver rims that are so elegant! I also love this black-and-white coordinating set.

Leanna holding a bowl of an Italian Grinder Tortellini Salad

Individual Plates: I love the black-and-white checkered plates from MacKenzie-Childs, which also come in a blue or pink version! For adorable salad plates, I am obsessed with this beautiful coordinating set from Target for a great price!

Kitchen Links: I get asked all the time about the products in the background of my kitchen. Much of it is from MacKenzie-Childs, which I have slowly grown a collection of over the years! My favorites are this checkered chopping board, my black and white checkered teapot, and the gray and white checkered utensil holder. I also have this enamel canister that you can find in small, medium, or large.

Can I Prep This in Advance?

Yes! You can cook the tortellini and store in the fridge up to a day in advance. You can also wash and cut the tomatoes, onions, and cut the meat and keep refrigerated until you are ready to combine the ingredients.

Close-up of fresh Italian Grinder Tortellini Salad in a wooden bowl

Storing Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, transfer them to a Tupperware container or Ziploc Bag and refrigerate. This should stay fresh for about 3 days!

Pasta Salad with Tortellini, meats, cheese, and veggies.

More Amazing Recipes!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we did! For more delicious salad recipes, be sure to check out our Epic Cobb Saad Board, beautiful Wedge Salad Board, or this 7-Layer Spring Salad (that doubles as a centerpiece!) Enjoy, friends!