Pesto Tortellini Salad (Printable Version)

Tender cheese tortellini with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach—a vibrant, refreshing Italian pasta salad.

# What You 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 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 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 with the dressing. Toss gently to coat everything evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed for optimal flavor balance.
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 Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
  • The pesto seeps into the tortellini pockets, delivering little bursts of basil with every bite.
  • It holds up beautifully in the fridge, so leftovers actually taste better the next day.
  • You can toss it together with one hand while holding a glass of wine in the other.
02 -
  • Rinse the cooked tortellini under cold water immediately or they'll clump together into a sticky mass that no amount of pesto can rescue.
  • Add the spinach right before serving if you're making this ahead, otherwise it wilts into dark green ribbons that look tired.
  • If your pesto is thick and pasty, the olive oil and lemon juice will loosen it into a silky dressing that actually clings to the pasta.
03 -
  • Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan constantly, because they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
  • Use fresh tortellini instead of dried if you can find it, the texture is silkier and the flavor is noticeably better.
  • Make your own pesto if you have a bunch of basil wilting in the fridge, it only takes five minutes in a food processor and tastes worlds better than most store-bought versions.
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