Pesto Tortellini Salad (Printable Version)

Tender cheese tortellini tossed with basil pesto, juicy cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Ideal for picnics and summer entertaining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb fresh cheese tortellini

→ Vegetables

02 - 5 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
03 - 2.5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Dressing

04 - 1/3 cup basil pesto
05 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnishes

08 - 1 oz toasted pine nuts
09 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the basil pesto, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
03 - Add the cooled tortellini, halved cherry tomatoes, and chopped baby spinach to the bowl with dressing. Toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly with the dressing.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed for balanced flavor.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most people can decide what to order for delivery.
  • The pesto does all the flavor work so you dont have to fuss with complicated dressings.
  • It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, making it perfect for meal prep.
  • You can serve it cold, warm, or room temperature and it always works.
02 -
  • Rinsing the cooked tortellini under cold water is not optional, it stops them from turning mushy and keeps the salad from becoming a warm sticky mess.
  • If your pesto tastes too intense straight from the jar, the olive oil and lemon juice will mellow it out perfectly once everything is mixed.
  • This salad gets better after an hour in the fridge as the flavors marry, but if it looks dry after chilling just drizzle a little more olive oil before serving.
03 -
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, theyll smell nutty and taste a hundred times better than the raw ones.
  • If your pesto has a layer of oil on top in the jar, stir it back in before measuring so you get the full flavor in every spoonful.
  • Taste the salad cold before serving, flavors mute when chilled so you may need to add a pinch more salt or a squeeze more lemon at the end.
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