When the summer heat kicks in, there’s nothing more refreshing than a bowl of tortellini pasta salad with pesto! This light and flavorful pasta salad is packed with fresh Italian flavors, making it the perfect dish for picnics, potlucks, BBQ cookouts, or a quick weeknight meal.
This pesto with tortellini dish is a simple yet satisfying way to enjoy a fresh, herb-packed pasta salad. Using cheese-filled tortellini gives it a rich and hearty texture, while the vibrant basil pesto adds a punch of flavor. It’s the perfect balance of creamy, savory, and refreshing, making it a go-to for warm-weather meals.
One of the best things about this tortellini pesto salad is its versatility. You can customize it with fresh vegetables, nuts, or even protein to make it your own. Since it can be served warm or chilled, it’s a great make-ahead meal that holds up beautifully in the fridge—ideal for meal prep, picnics, or busy weeknights. Whether you serve it as a light main course or a flavorful side dish, this salad is a must-try!
Why We Love This Pesto with Tortellini Recipe
- A combination of 3 favorite Italian recipes.
Nobody can resist this meal of tender sausage tortellini soup instant pot mixed with burrata caprese ingredients. - Delicious at room temperature or cold.
This makes it great for taking on the go, or for making in bulk for lunches throughout the week. - It’s a quick way to enjoy authentic Italian flavors.
Like our feta bean salad, this tortellini pesto salad takes less than 30 minutes to make, and it has lots of bright and light Italian flavors! We love the caprese ingredients in this salad, especially in the summer months.
Looking for other easy caprese dishes?
You can’t beat garden-grown tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. Use them to make simple tortellini skewers, or for another easy dinner idea, consider making recipe caprese chicken!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For the Pesto Sauce
- Basil: If possible, avoid substituting this ingredient in the pesto sauce, but if you have to use something else, either Italian flat-leaf parsley or baby spinach will work.
- Parmesan: The saltiness of this cheese makes it the best choice. Pecorino is the best alternative.
- Toasted pine nuts: Walnuts are a great substitute, and of course, if you have a nut allergy, it’s fine to make the sauce without nuts.
- Extra virgin olive oil: For the best flavor, you can’t beat this high-quality oil. It can be pricey, though, so use regular olive oil if you need to.
For the Pasta Salad
- Tortellini: We like to use the cheese-filled variety to keep the meal meatless and vegetarian, but any filling works. Also, fresh tortellini has the best flavor, but frozen works just as well, and is often less expensive than fresh pasta.
- Mozzarella pearls: These are small balls of fresh mozzarella, sold in a plastic container with brine, to keep them fresh and moist. If you can’t find the tiny ones, larger mozzarella balls are fine – just cut them into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Cherry tomatoes: These or grape tomatoes are preferable to larger, watery tomatoes. Halve them so that they’re easy to eat alongside the pesto pasta salad.
Recipe Variations
Include some protein – Pesto with tortellini is a nice light meal as-is, especially during the summertime. To make a heartier, more protein-packed meal, consider adding grilled chicken nuggets, tofu, shrimp, or another protein of your choice.
Or, you could just make our salmon and pesto pasta!
For a lighter take without the pasta, our caprese pizza flatbread is a great choice — and it has a drizzle of balsamic glaze! Actually balsamic vinegar is a great way to introduce a bit of sweetness to tortellini pasta salad as well.
How to Make Tortellini Pesto Salad
- Use a food processor to make a quick pesto sauce.
There’s simply no way to get a smooth sauce without a food processor, or a high speed blender.
See our tips for toasting pine nuts, and how to create the best citrus flavors in your sauce with our pesto pasta salad with peas side dish.
- Drain and shock the pasta to stop the cooking process and cool it down.
After you cook the tortellini, you’ll want to cool it down before mixing it with pesto. Rinsing it with cold tap water will prevent it from over cooking.
To avoid watering down the tortellini, another option is to transfer it to a metal mixing bowl, then set that bowl inside of an ice bath.
Serving Suggestions
This tortellini pasta salad with pesto can be served chilled or at room temperature, making it a great addition to your favorite salad recipes for summer gatherings. However, because of the fresh mozzarella, it doesn’t hold up as well when warm—so if you’re not serving it immediately, store it in the fridge until just before serving.
For extra flavor and texture, toss the salad in a large bowl with add-ins like sun-dried tomatoes, bell peppers, red onion, or feta cheese. To turn it into a heartier meal, mix in shredded rotisserie chicken for a boost of protein. It’s the perfect dish for July cookouts, picnics, or meal prep—fresh, flavorful, and so easy to make!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Many people enjoy and prefer pesto pasta when it’s chilled.
It’s quicker and easier to enjoy at room temperature, but the firmness of the pasta and thickness of the sauce is most delicious when cold. It’s up to you!
Pesto sauce is made with heart-healthy olive oil, garlic, and basil, so it is relatively healthy. However, it also contains parmesan cheese which is high in sodium.
If you are monitoring your salt intake, you may want to use less, or leave it out entirely.
Unfortunately, no. Dried herbs do not have the same bright flavor as fresh herbs. This is especially true with leafy herbs like basil. Also, be sure to use bright green leaves that are not wilted or brown.
Yes! Tortellini pesto salad stores well, but to keep it fresh, refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Since this salad contains fresh mozzarella, it’s best served cold or at room temperature—avoid leaving it out for too long. If the pasta absorbs too much of the pesto, simply toss it with a little extra olive oil or fresh pesto before serving to revive the flavors.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Place your serving dish inside of a slightly larger dish filled with water, then place it in the freezer. This will create a form-fitted sheet of ice around the serving dish. Serve the pesto tortellini salad in that serving dish. This guarantees that your tortellini with pesto will stay cold for a lot longer!
Consider Making These Other Side Dish Recipes…
If you tried this quick pesto tortellini salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto
Equipment
- food processor
- stockpot
- mesh strainer
- large serving bowl
Ingredients
For the Pesto Dressing
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese grated (about 1/3 cup after grating)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Tortellini Salad
- 16 ounces cheese tortellini fresh or frozen
- 1 ½ cups arugula
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes halved (about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces mozzarella pearls drained *see Notes
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
For the Pesto Sauce
- Add the pine nuts, garlic, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped.Add the basil leaves and parmesan cheese and pulse again, until the basil is finely chopped.
- With the food processor running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Pulse until the sauce is smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For the Tortellini Salad
- Cook the cheese pasta according to the package directions. Cooking times will vary.
- Drain the tortellini and run it under cold water until it is no longer warm to the touch – about 30 seconds.
- Add the pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and stir gently to coat the pasta with pesto.
- Add the arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella and pine nuts. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. This pasta salad is equally delicious at room temperature as it is chilled.
Notes
- Pine Nuts -You can swap out the pine nuts for walnuts, or omit the nuts completely if needed.
- Lemon Juice -Using freshly squeezed lemon juice is best.
- Pasta -This recipe calls for cheese tortellini, but you can use any type of tortellini.
- Arugula -You can substitute baby spinach leaves for the arugula.
- Fresh Mozzarella Balls – Fresh balls are different from blocks of mozzarella cheese. Look for pearl mozzarella balls (these are the smallest size), sold in a plastic container with brine. If you can’t find pearls, cut larger sized mozzarella balls into smaller pieces.
Nutrition
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Heather says
Yum! This is such a delightful summer salad, it’s so easy to make and a total hit! Thank you!
Anjali says
I made a batch of this to use in my kids’ lunchboxes during the week and it has been a huge hit with both of my kids! They were disappointed when I told them that today was the last day we’d be having it, so I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon!
Lauren says
I loved using tortellini in pasta salad! The texture was great and the added flavor really worked well. I will definitely make this recipe again.
DK says
Yes! I was craving both pasta and salad tonight and was having a hard time choosing which to make! Now I can have both with your amazing tortellini caprese salad!
Ann says
You can’t go wrong with these ingredients. It’s the perfect lunch choice. Thanks!