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A quick and easy tortellini pasta salad made with cheese tortellini, pesto, cherry tomatoes, olives, and Parmesan. Make this pesto tortellini salad in 20 only minutes and watch it disappear!
Try my Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta or Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad next!
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Why you'll love pesto tortellini pasta salad
This delectable recipe features just 5 basic ingredients, making it both straightforward and endlessly adaptable.
This recipe is easy to prepare, with a total prep time of just 20 minutes! It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at any event.
The beauty of tortellini pesto salad lies in its versatility—you can select from various tortellini and pesto flavors. Plus, feel free to personalize the ingredients to incorporate your preferred Mediterranean tastes and textures!
Lastly, you can enjoy this pasta salad warm or chilled, making it an endlessly pleasing side dish or main entree.
Ingredient notes
- Tortellini pasta - I use 5-cheese tortellini for this recipe, but any variety is welcome!
- Pesto - Use any storebought pesto or make my simple and affordable walnut pesto recipe or arugula pesto recipe. Both are tried and true!!
- Cherry tomatoes - Or any tomato variety.
- Kalamata olives - I love the distinct flavor and color these olives bring to the pasta salad.
- Parmesan cheese - Grated, shaved, or shredded Parmesan can be used.
- (optional) garnish - Use fresh basil or parsley garnish.
How to make this recipe
First, follow the package instructions to cook the tortellini. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop it cooking.
Next, place cooked tortellini, tomatoes, olives, pesto, and Parmesan cheese in a mixing bowl. Gently toss to coat everything with pesto.
Serve warm or chilled. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Don't overcook the tortellini. Pay close attention to the package instructions to prevent overcooking, as this will preserve its pillowy texture.
- To prevent cooked tortellini from sticking, rinse it under cold water in a colander and remove excess liquid.
- To make ahead, follow recipe instructions accordingly and refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Add or substitute other ingredients such as red onions, mini mozzarella balls, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, bacon, or chicken.
- Make creamy pesto tortellini by stirring in ⅓ cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt. I have found that this makes it even more addictive!
- Serve as a warm entree or chilled pasta salad. To serve warm, reheat using medium settings on a microwave or stove until warmed through.
Serving ideas
- Garlic Butter Grilled Salmon
- Baked Chicken Thighs
- Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Greek Lemon Chicken
- Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
📖 Recipe
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling (2x or 3x), the light gray ingredient amount doesn’t scale. Please adjust those accordingly.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook TORTELLINI according to package instructions. Drain to remove excess water.
- Combine TORTELLINI, TOMATOES, OLIVES, PESTO, and PARMESAN CHEESE in a large mixing bowl. Gently toss to coat.
- Serve warm or chilled with optional garnish.
- To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Don't overcook the tortellini. Pay close attention to the package instructions to prevent overcooking, as this will preserve its pillowy texture.
- To prevent cooked tortellini from sticking, rinse it under cold water in a colander and remove excess liquid.
- To make ahead, follow recipe instructions accordingly and refrigerate in an airtight container.
- Add or substitute other ingredients such as red onions, mini mozzarella balls, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, bacon, or chicken.
- Make creamy pesto tortellini by stirring in ⅓ cup mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt. I have found that this makes it even more addictive!
- Serve as a warm entree or chilled pasta salad. To serve warm, reheat using medium settings on a microwave or stove until warmed through.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
Jean says
I love pesto and tortellini but not olives so would it be ok to omit or what else could I substitute? Thanks
Traci Antonovich says
Absolutely, you can skip them. You can even swap them with something else briny like chopped artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, or even capers—whatever sounds good to you. Let me know what you end up trying and enjoy!
Michelle Hauger says
The pasta salad turned out great. Worked out great for lunch at work. It even tasted great cold too!
Traci says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm with you about eating it cold or warm. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Cheers!
Carol says
This salad is everything that is wonderful about summer! I love how easy this salad is and it's absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this crowd-pleaser; everyone loved it!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I'm so glad you love it as much as we do 🙂 Thanks for the feedback!
Irena says
Love the use of tortellini in a salad 🙂 The pesto and olives add so much flavour, great for summer.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂 It's one of my favorite summer pasta salads for sure! Thanks!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
So many delicious flavours and I really love the addition of olives in this dish.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay!! I'm with you on the olives, but I must admit this pesto tortellini salad is sooo delicious even without them. Thanks for the review. Cheers!
Ieva says
Simple and easy to make, yet super delicious salad! Olives are a must in this! We absolutely adore the flavour combination! Perfect for taking to work in a lunch box!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback!
Seema says
My kids are not a big fan of tortellini and I had a pack to finish. Today I made this and not a word, it was a clean bowl left. Love the recipe.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know the family loved it!
Rachna says
I love pasta salads. The dish looks so gorgeous and summery, not to mention super easy. I will make this for weekend. Thanks.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! So glad you can enjoy this one 🙂 Cheers!
Stephanie says
Yum. I can see why this was so popular. Everything I love in one bowl and I bet it is even better warm!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Stephanie! It IS crazy delicious when it's warmed up 🙂
SHANIKA says
This pasta salad looks great! It's certainly perfect for the summer and I love Pesto!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Shanika! I love hearing that...pesto is the best, isn't it? 🙂
Natalie says
This salad sounds fantastic. We love tortellinis and I haven't made them in ages. I think I'm going to change that this weekend. I must make this salad for our Sunday lunch.
Traci Antonovich says
Yay Natalie! I'm so glad to hear it! Hope you love it like I do! 🙂
Lauren says
I love pesto...and tortellini....and pasta salad! This sounds amazing and so perfect for summer!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Lauren...it really is the perfect summer dish 🙂
Marie says
Pesto and pasta for the win! One of the best combo out there!! Your salad looks deliciouuuus
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Marie! Yeah, I'm a super fan of pesto pasta! 🙂
Jacque says
That pesto sounds fantastic! I will have to try this soon.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Jacque...I'm crazy about pesto pasta! Hope you get to try this one 🙂
Pam says
So easy and it sounds so delicious. I love tortellini and I've never used it in a pasta salad!
Traci Antonovich says
Omgosh Pam, you will go crazy for it in a pasta salad! Hope you try it soon! 🙂
Meredith says
This tortellini pesto pasta salad looks amazing! I love that you used greek yogurt to make it creamy AND add a little extra protein! Can't wait to try, thanks!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Meredith...that Greek yogurt trick is def one of my signature moves!
Alexis says
I love pasta salads and am always looking for new ideas. Thank you for this recipe, I'll be putting it on our weekly meal plan list.
Traci Antonovich says
Awesome Alexis! Glad to hear it and hope you enjoy 🙂
Jenni says
What an awesome summer pasta dish. This definitely kicks those classic pasta salad dishes out of the park!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Jenni! I'm with you on that 🙂