Pesto Tortellini Salad (Print Version)

Vibrant pasta salad with cheese tortellini, basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach. Ready in 25 minutes.

# 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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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 to cool completely.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pesto, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - Add the cooled tortellini, cherry tomatoes, and spinach to the bowl. Toss gently to coat everything evenly with the dressing.
04 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
05 - Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than most people can set the table, but tastes like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The pesto clings to every pocket of the tortellini, so each bite is packed with flavor instead of sitting in a puddle at the bottom.
  • It actually improves after an hour in the fridge, making it the rare dish that rewards your laziness.
  • You can serve it cold, room temperature, or slightly warm, which means no reheating panic before guests arrive.
02 -
  • Rinsing the tortellini under cold water is not optional, because if you skip it, the residual heat will wilt the spinach into mush and turn the whole salad into a warm, sad pile.
  • Dont dress the salad more than two hours ahead if youre using spinach, because it will release water and dilute the pesto into a watery green puddle.
  • If your pesto is too thick and clumpy, add olive oil one teaspoon at a time instead of dumping it all in, because too much makes the salad greasy instead of glossy.
03 -
  • Toast your own pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for three minutes, shaking constantly, because the nutty aroma they release is ten times better than the raw ones and theyre cheaper when you buy them in bulk.
  • If youre making this ahead, toss the tortellini with a tiny drizzle of olive oil after rinsing to keep them from sticking together in the fridge, then add the pesto dressing right before serving.
  • Use a vegetable peeler to shave big curls of Parmesan over the top instead of grating it, because it looks impressive and gives you pockets of salty richness instead of an even dusting.
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