Copycat Costco Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis hearty Costco tortellini pasta salad recipe is hearty, filling, and a fantastic appetizer or side dish you can make right at home! Ready in 20 minutes, this pasta salad is inexpensive to make and delicious, and great for prepping or making ahead of time for a party or gathering.
​Cheese tortellini are cooked and tossed with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, salami, black olives, and tossed in a delicious Italian dressing. Bring this dish to your next gathering, party, barbecue, or potluck for a delicious crowd-pleaser appetizer everyone will love.
Want more great pasta salad recipes? Try our Sam’s Club Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe copycat, our delicious lemon couscous salad with feta, and our favorite Thai wheat noodle salad recipe!
We love a good store-made pasta salad, especially one loaded with fresh vegetables, cheese, and delicious tomatoes and olives! This copycat Costco pasta salad recipe is a fantastic and easy dish to make at home – with the same amazing flavor.
Start by cooking frozen tortellini, then tossing it with fresh vegetables, meat, cheese and a delicious dressing. I’ll include instructions for both a quick 5-minute Italian vinaigrette below, or a store-bought dressing option if you are short on time. Either way, you will have a fantastic and hearty tortellini pasta salad ready in less than 30 minutes.
Note – this isn’t Costco’s official recipe, just a copycat version I developed at home based on the original!
Why This Recipe Works
- ​This tortellini salad is easy, cost-effective, and SO delicious!
- It makes a great appetizer, lunch, light dinner, or side dish.
- Great for entertaining – this recipe is ready to share.
- It’s easy to make ahead of time (up to 3 days before). You can also double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
- Cooks of any skill level can make this dish, just follow our step-by-step photos and directions below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Costco uses cheese tortellini for this recipe, but you could try it with other varieties as well. Pesto or meat-filled tortellini would make great additions. Just be sure to cook the tortellini according to package instructions before adding it to the salad. And test a few to make sure they are fully cooked through.
I used sliced salami, which makes the pasta salad super meaty. You can use your favorite type of salami or cured meat (like pepperoni slices or even prosciutto for an Italian twist).
Fresh mozzarella pearls give this pasta salad a wonderful texture and flavor. You can use plain mozzarella cheese, or marinated ones if they are available. And mozzarella goes great with the cherry tomatoes. They are a wonderful, bright, and sweet addition to the pasta salad. You can use grape tomatoes or even diced vine-ripe tomatoes instead of cherry.
For the dressing, you can use a store-bought variety or a quick Italian vinaigrette dressing that I will share below. It has olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dried herbs, and garlic for a little kick!
Additions and Substitutions
- You can add in roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, or chopped red onion for an extra kick.
- Fresh herbs would also give this recipe a kick – a few tablespoons of fresh basil or fresh parsley would be a delicious addition!
- Use green olives or kalamata olives instead of black.
How To Make This Copycat Pasta Salad Recipe
Step 1: Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Once finished, taste a few to make sure they are fully cooked (if not, cook for an additional minute or two). Drain, rinse in a colander under cool water, and add to a large bowl.
Step 2: To the tortellini, add the fresh mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and sliced salami.
Step 3: If making the dressing from scratch – add all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisk well. Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta salad, and toss well to combine.
Step 4: Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Give the pasta salad a good stir before serving, adding more Italian dressing if needed.
Recipe FAQs
Costco’s tortellini salad recipe has 5 cheese tortellini, chopped salami, cherry tomatoes, black olives (and lots of them!), and mozzarella cheese. I used the same ingredients for this copycat recipe, which is spot-on to the original!
Yes – omit the salami and you’ll have a meat-free recipe that you can make vegetarian. You can use sun-dried tomatoes or marinated artichoke hearts in place of the salami, or use a plant-based version instead!
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. This recipe does not freeze well, so be sure to enjoy it fresh.
More Easy Salads for Entertaining
- Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Tangy Vinaigrette
- Copycat CPK Thai Crunch Salad
- 5 Bean Salad Recipe
- Caprese Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Gnocchi Pasta Salad
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Copycat Costco Tortellini Pasta Salad
Equipment
- Pot
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
For the Tortellini Salad
- 1 19-ounce package frozen tricolored tortellini pasta
- 14 ounces canned black olives drained, and halved
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 ounces salami sliced
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese pearls
- 1 cup Italian dressing store-bought or recipe to follow
For the Italian Dressing (if making your own)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Once finished, taste a few to make sure they are fully cooked (if not, cook for an additional minute or two). Drain, rinse in a colander under cool water, and add to a large bowl.
- To the tortellini, add the fresh mozzarella pearls, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and sliced salami.
- If making the dressing from scratch – add all the dressing ingredients to a large bowl and whisk well. Pour the Italian dressing over the pasta salad, and toss well to combine.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Give the pasta salad a good stir before serving, adding more Italian dressing if needed.
Notes
- You can add in roasted red peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, or chopped red onion for an extra kick.
- Fresh herbs would also give this recipe a kick – a few tablespoons of fresh basil or fresh parsley would be a delicious addition!
- Use green olives or kalamata olives instead of black.
Nutrition
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