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This simple tortellini pesto salad is a quick prep pasta salad that starts with an amazing basil pesto and is tossed with cheese tortellini, veggies, sun-dried tomatoes and more cheese! It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is simple to vary and customize. This will be the picnic must make for years to come!
Pasta salads are my love language once the sunshine and warmer weather hits. This new tortellini pesto salad is a perfect combination of two top pasta salads on lemons & zest: this Pesto Orzo Salad and this Tortellini Caprese Salad.
Both salads have been reader favorites for years. The problem I have over here? My husband is not a fan of orzo–so thus the tortellini pesto version was created!
Try these other favorite pasta salad recipes: Grinder Pasta Salad, Tomato Basil Pasta Salad, Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad, or my all time favorite, this Lemon Orzo Salad With Feta!
Why We Love This Tortellini Pesto Salad
Simple salad recipes with so much flavor do NOT have to be boring. This easy pesto tortellini salad has been requested on repeat by my family and I am so happy to oblige!
This tortellini pesto salad:
- includes simple ingredients
- is very easily varied to your liking
- has so much flavor
- uses lots of summer fresh produce!
- is the perfect potluck recipe to bring to the bbq
Ingredient Notes
See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with
- use your favorite tortellini when making this recipe. Cook it until al dente or just slightly under al dente for best results.
- spinach: we love to add in baby spinach to this pasta salad for some added nutrition. It wilts easily when draining the pasta. You can chop it or leave it whole. I do not recommend using frozen spinach in this recipe.
- mozzarella: fresh mozzarella cheese–nothing compares. I like the mozzarella pearls, but you can take another shape and just drain and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- sun-dried tomatoes: you want the type that is in oil with Italian herbs. Drain any excess oil from them and chop into bite-sized pieces if they are on the larger side. If you can’t find the tomatoes packed in Italian herbs, I suggest adding about 1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning to the pasta salad for the best flavor!
- basil: again, fresh is key and the only option in this orzo pesto salad. Fresh basil leaves are a must for this recipe. It is the star of the pesto.
- pine nuts or walnuts: pine nuts are a bit pricy, so you could opt for walnuts if preferred. For a nut allergy, you can omit the pine nuts completely or use shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
Ways to Vary This recipe
- add more veggies: add some diced bell peppers, grilled zucchini, diced red onion, cucumbers, artichokes and more.
- toss in some protein: toss in some cubed grilled or rotisserie chicken, sliced Italian sausage, grilled shrimp and more
- use a different flavor tortellini: we use cheese tortellini most of the time, but I have changed it up and loved them. Spinach tortellini (ahem, Trader Joe’s), ricotta tortellini, etc.
- other possible add-ins: chopped olives, more cheese–shredded parmesan is great, white beans or chickpeas, sliced pepperoni, toasted pine nuts, roasted red peppers, etc.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the tortellini according to package until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep it from cooking any longer. While the tortellini cooks, combine pesto ingredients in a food processor (starting with ½ cup of olive oil, you can add more to thin it out).
Step 2: Process until smooth, but some slight graininess remains to add texture. Thin it out with the remaining olive oil to get a bit of a pourable pesto.
Step 3: You can also thin the pesto out with a splash or two of water if preferred. It should have some texture but still have a pourable consistency.
Step 4: Toss the tortellini with about ¾ of the pesto to allow it to coat well. If this mixture seems to dry or thick, add an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Step 5: Add the remaining salad ingredients to the tortellini and and toss well.
Step 6: Add more pesto as desired, or if serving at a later time, reserve it until just before serving. Chill until ready to serve and garnish with chopped basil.
Recipe Tips
Toast your pine nuts! This only takes a minute or two, but adds so much more to your pesto. Allow them to cool before adding to the pesto by lining them on parchment for about 10-15 minutes.
To make this nut free, use pepitas (pumpkin seeds removed from shells). Toast them as well for a great pesto. You can also omit the nuts completely and adjust the olive oil to use about 1-2 tablespoons less.
To prep this salad a day in advance, toss all of the ingredients together, reserving about 1/4 of the pesto to toss in just before serving. An extra drizzle of olive oil when serving is great as well.
Storage Instructions
Store this tortellini pesto pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. You can prep it a day in advance if planning to serve it at a gathering.
Before serving, allow it to sit out for about 10-15 minutes for the olive oil in the pesto to become liquid again. Toss the salad with extra pesto or an extra drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
Common Questions
If you are short on time and still want to make this pasta salad, you can surely use store bought pesto. For best results, use the kind in the refrigerated section of the grocery versus the shelf stable jars usually found in the pasta sauce aisle.
You can make the pesto dairy free by omitting the parmesan. A few tablespoons of nutritional yeast can be a great replacement if preferred. If not, you can skip it completely.
Use pepitas in place of the pine nuts of walnuts. They are the green seeds inside the shells of pumpkin seeds and work great
Other Salad Recipes
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Tortellini Pesto Salad
Ingredients
PESTO INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups fresh basil, packed, stems removed
- 1-2 garlic cloves, whole or miced
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts or walnuts, toasted if desired
- juice of one lemon
- ½ – ⅔ extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 20 oz. cheese tortellini
- 2-3 handfuls baby spinach, chopped
- 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls
- ½- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, in Italian herbs, the kind in oil
- More chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep it from cooking any longer. Set aside.
- Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor (starting with ½ cup of olive oil, you can add more to thin it out). Process until smooth, but some slight graininess remains to add texture. Thin it out with the remaining olive oil to get a bit of a pourable pesto.
- Toss the tortellini with about ¾ of the pesto to allow it to coat well. If this mixture seems to dry or thick, add an extra drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the remaining salad ingredients to the tortellini and and toss well. Add more pesto as desired, or if serving at a later time, reserve it until just before sering.
- Chill until ready to serve and garnish with chopped basil.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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