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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

Pesto Tortellini Salad

Published: May 5, 2023 by Scott · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This pesto tortellini salad is a flavorful summer pasta salad that can be served as a side dish for your next picnic or cookout or as a quick and easy main dish that's perfect for lunch or a weeknight dinner in just 10 minutes!

Tortellini pesto pasta salad in a large serving bowl.
Jump to:
  • Why this Recipe Works
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • What to Serve with Tortellini Pasta Salad
  • Recipe Variations
  • Recipe Tips and FAQs
  • More Delicious Side Dish Salads
  • 📖 Recipe
  • You May Also Like

Why this Recipe Works

Looking for a tasty pasta salad option? Try this cheese tortellini pasta salad with pesto, also known as Caprese pasta salad. It's made with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, just like a classic Caprese salad. This side dish is best served cold, but can also be served warm for a quick and easy lunch or dinner option.

This tortellini salad with pesto is filled with the freshness of summer, thanks to the juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, pesto sauce, and fresh mozzarella balls. What I love most about it is that it can be whipped up in no time.

With the use of store-bought ingredients, preparing this dish only requires a few minutes of chopping basil and tomatoes. And the cooking time is a mere 3 minutes, so you can have it ready in just about 10 minutes from start to finish!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients for pesto tortellini pasta salad arranged on a countertop in individual bowls.
  • Tortellini - I like to use cheese tortellini with a mixture of regular and spinach pasta for added color. Plain cheese tortellini will also work, or you can use a variety with a different filling if you want to change the flavor.
  • Fresh Mozzarella - I use fresh mozzarella balls called pearls. They are miniature balls, and the size is perfect for this tortellini pasta salad. If you can't find the pearls, larger mozzarella balls will work, or you can dice a full-sized ball of fresh mozzarella.
  • Pesto Sauce - To make this dish quick and easy, I used store-bought refrigerated pesto. This is typically sold alongside the packaged tortellini. Of course, you can also use a batch of my homemade pesto sauce if you prefer.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water for around a minute until cool.
  2. Add the pasta to a mixing bowl along with the pesto, basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls, and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Ingredients for pesto tortellini pasta salad shown in a mixing bowl before stirring together.
Tortellini pasta salad in a mixing bowl.

What to Serve with Tortellini Pasta Salad

This pesto pasta salad is ideal for summer cookouts and backyard barbecues. It pairs well with grilled dishes like my spinach and feta turkey burgers and kebabs like my Greek chicken souvlaki, huli huli chicken kebabs, and my Greek yogurt marinated lamb kebabs.

Pesto pasta salad in a large serving bowl.

Recipe Variations

This tortellini pasta salad is fresh and flavorful, but you can easily change up the flavor by swapping the pesto for a store-bought salad dressing. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Greek- For a Greek-flavored tortellini pasta salad, replace the pesto with ½ cup of red wine vinaigrette dressing and replace the mozzarella balls with crumbled feta cheese. Then add in olives, sliced cucumber, and sliced red onion.
  • Italian - Another variation is to use Italian dressing in place of the pesto. You can keep the ingredient list the same or add other additions like sliced red onion, diced bell peppers, salami, and black olives.
  • Balsamic - You can give this pasta salad a sweeter flavor profile by swapping out the pesto for ½ cup of balsamic vinaigrette.

Recipe Tips and FAQs

How to store pasta salad

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Can this pasta salad be made in advance?

You can make this pasta salad 2-3 days ahead. If you do plan to make it ahead, I recommend only adding half of the pesto sauce when preparing it. Then stir in the rest just before serving since the pasta soaks up the sauce as it sits.

Can I use other types of pasta?

Yes, you can use most shaped noodles like rotini or macaroni in place of the tortellini if you prefer.

More Delicious Side Dish Salads

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    Hawaiian Mac Salad
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    Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
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If you try this recipe, don't forget to leave a RATING or COMMENT below. I would love to hear from you!!! And FOLLOW me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest recipes!

📖 Recipe

Tortellini pesto pasta salad in a large serving bowl.

Pesto Tortellini Salad

This easy pasta salad recipe features cheese tortellini, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella cheese, all tossed in pesto sauce. It's a perfect summer side dish in just 15 minutes!
Author: Scott
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Cook Time: 3 minutes mins
Total Time: 8 minutes mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 372kcal

Equipment

  • Chefs Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Stock Pot
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 20 ounces cheese tortellini
  • 1 cup pesto sauce
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
  • 16 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ¼ cup chopped basil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the tortellini in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water for around a minute until cool.
  • Add the pasta to a mixing bowl along with the pesto, basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella balls, and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Notes

Make Ahead
This pasta salad can be prepared 2-3 days ahead. If you do plan to make it ahead, I recommend only adding half of the pesto sauce when preparing it. Stir in the rest just before serving since the pasta soaks up the sauce as it sits.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 15gFat: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 3g

* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating above and mention @disheswithdad or tag #disheswithdad on social media!

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About Me

Hello, I'm Scott! I'm a former professional cook and an experienced home cook. I created this space to share my favorite quick and easy, family-friendly recipes and hopefully inspire you to try some of them for yourself!

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