Grinder Pasta Salad with Crispy Air Fryer Tortellini
All the best parts of a grinder sub turned into a high-protein pasta salad with crispy air-fryer tortellini and a creamy cottage cheese dressing. meal preps all week perfectly.
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SERVINGS: 6 people
Ingredients
crispy tortellini
- 18-20 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
- pinch of salt
protein + salad
- 6-8 oz deli turkey chopped
- 4-6 oz salami or pepperoni chopped
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup pepperoncini sliced
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan
- chopped romaine or iceberg optional
creamy grinder dressing
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup avocado oil mayo
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp pepperoncini juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper
- 2 tbsp parmesan grated or shredded
Instructions
Enable step-by-step modecrispy tortellini
- bring a pot of water to a boil. cook tortellini 3-4 minutes, slightly underdone. drain and spread out on a sheet pan to dry for 10-15 minutes.
- toss dried tortellini with olive oil, garlic powder, italian seasoning, and salt. preheat air fryer to 400°F. cook 8-10 minutes, shaking basket at the 4-5 minute mark, until edges are golden and slightly crispy.
bacon
- cook bacon in a pan over medium heat 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway. cool and crumble.
dressing
- blend all dressing ingredients 20-30 seconds until completely smooth.
assemble
- toss turkey, salami, bacon, tomatoes, onion, pepperoncini, and parmesan with dressing. add romaine if using. top with crispy tortellini right before eating.