Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Published 7/29/2024
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Made with cheese tortellini, fresh tomatoes, salami, and mozzarella, this Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad is perfect for parties, cookouts, or weeknight dinners.
The tortellini not only has a great texture and extra flavor from the cheese stuffing, but the sauce gets in all the nooks and crannies of each noodle, so you get yummy pesto in every single bite!
This is one of those versatile summer recipes perfect for big parties or meal prep. I love making it at the beginning of the week and portioning out for individual meals.
It’s an excellent side dish, but you can easily pair it with a protein like grilled chicken, tofu, or turkey meatballs to make it an entree. Feel free to double this recipe depending on how many people you’re cooking for or how many meals you want to prep.
Once you make the homemade pesto, you’re basically done with this recipe! The tortellini cooks in just a couple of minutes, and then you toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and set it on the table. It doesn’t get better than that.
What You’ll Need For Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Homemade Pesto: Homemade pesto is so easy to make and is a total game changer once you do.
- Cheese Tortellini: You can use your favorite kind; you’ll need one package.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Juicy and bright, they help lighten up the more savory, earthy flavors of the pesto.
- Sweet Peas: You can use fresh or frozen (just thaw them first).
- Red Onion: Sharp and bright red onions add great flavor and color!
- Hard Salami Rounds: I love the salty, hearty flavor they add.
- Pine Nuts: Smooth and buttery pine nuts in the salad help tie together the pesto flavors.
- Pearl Mozzarella Cheese: You can use plain mozzarella or the marinated kind.
- Fresh Basil: I julienned the basil, but you can hand-tear it into bite-size pieces, too.
Can I Use Store-bought Pesto Instead?
Yes! Feel free to use store-bought pesto for this pesto tortellini recipe, but keep in mind that it usually has a bit more oil and salt than a homemade version. Add a little bit of store-bought pesto at a time until it reaches your desired flavor.
Can I Use Other Nuts Instead Of Pine Nuts?
Pine nuts are super tasty but expensive and not a very common ingredient, so I understand wanting to look for an alternative.
Pine nuts are rich and buttery, so cashews are an amazing substitute. They are similarly smooth, mildly sweet, and buttery. I recommend getting raw cashews and lightly toasting them in a pan for the best flavor.
How to Make Homemade Pesto
Ingredients:
(Note: Measurements for our homemade pesto can be found in the recipe card below!)
- Basil leaves
- Grated parmesan
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic
- Pine nuts
- Olive oil
Method:
- Place all ingredients into a high-speed food processor.
- Process on high for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides as needed. Make sure not to over-process as some grittiness is great for the texture of pesto.
- If your pesto is too thick, add more olive oil by the teaspoon and pulse until mostly smooth.
Storing Pesto Pasta Salad
Pasta salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, it can dry out the pesto a bit, so add a little olive oil and salt (or even another dash of pesto if you have some leftover) before serving.
Serving Ideas For Tortellini Pasta Salad
There are so many delicious ways to serve this yummy salad!
If you’re making this for a cookout, it is delicious alongside black bean burgers, grilled salmon, and grilled veggies like carrots or zucchini.
If you’re serving this up for weeknight dinner, spoon it on top a bed of arugula or baby spinach to get a little more greens on your plate!
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup homemade pesto*
- 20 oz. cheese tortellini
- 20 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1.5 cups sweet peas, thawed if frozen
- ¼ red onion, mined
- 8 oz. hard salami rounds, halved
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 8 oz. pearl mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil, julienned
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- If using homemade pesto, prepare homemade pesto and set aside.*
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini to the pot and boil until the tortellini floats to the top of the water.
- Strain the tortellini and set aside to come to room temperature.
- Add the tortellini, tomatoes, peas, onions, salami, pine nuts, and mozzarella to a large bowl and mix. Top with basil and salt to taste.
- Eat the pasta immediately or place it in the refrigerator to chill.
Tips & Notes
- Feel free to use store-bought pesto for this recipe. Keep in mind that store-bought pesto tends to have a bit more oil and salt. Add a little bit of store-bought pesto at a time until it reaches your desired flavor.
- Homemade pesto recipe: Ingredients: 2 cups packed basil leaves (~40-42 fresh basil leaves), 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 medium cloves garlic, ¼ cup pine nuts, ¼ cup olive oil Method: 1. Place all ingredients into a high-speed food processor. 2. Process on high for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides as needed. Make sure not to over-process as some grittiness is great for the texture of pesto.3. If your pesto is too thick, add more olive oil by the teaspoon and pulse until mostly smooth.
- If you store this pasta salad in the refrigerator, be sure to add more olive oil and taste for salt before serving.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
