Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

Easy 5-ingreient Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make and is packed with flavor.

Pesto tortellini pasta salad is a great summer recipe! It takes just 5 ingredients and less than 20 minutes to make.

There is minimal cooking time, and the pasta salad makes a great light supper or a delicious side dish.

The pasta salad keeps well, so it's a good make-ahead dish. Give it a try, and it may become your new favorite cookout or barbecue side!

Ingredients and substitutions

• Cheese Tortellini: Any brand of fresh cheese tortellini will work. Feel free to use another type (like tricolor) in the recipe.
• Pesto: Store bought or homemade basil pesto will work.
• Cherry Tomatoes: Flavor bombs cherry tomatoes are my current favorite. You can also use grape tomatoes.
• Mozzarella Balls: I use mozzarella pearls. They're mini mozzarella balls. You can use larger mozzarella balls or even marinated mozzarella if you prefer.
• Red Onion: Shallots make a good substitute for the red onion. If you find red onion overpowering, simply soak the raw red onion in ice water to take some of the bite out of the onion.

How to make pesto tortellini pasta salad

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. 

Step 2: Add tortellini and cook for 1 and ½ minutes. Don’t overcook the pasta. 

Step 3: Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water until cool. 

Step 4: Add the tortellini to a large bowl.

Step 5: Add in pesto, tomatoes, cheese, and onion. 

Step 6: Toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

What to serve with this dish

This pasta salad makes a great side dish for cookouts or barbecues. It also goes well with main dishes like herb roasted chicken, caprese chicken, or meatballs.

Storage

This pasta salad should be kept covered in the fridge. The pasta salad will keep for up to 5 days when properly stored.

I like to add in a bit of extra pesto after the pasta salad has been in the fridge, so if you're making this ahead of time, you may want to do the same and add a bit of extra pesto before serving.

More side salad recipes!

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