• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
I Heart Eating
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
      • Work with Me
    • Rules and Disclosures
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Press
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Sides » Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

    Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

    Published: Jun 24, 2021 · Modified: May 17, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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

    wooden spoon scooping pesto tortellini pasta salad.

    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!

    Labeled photo with pesto tortellini ingredients in dishes.

    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

    Drained cooked tortellini in a collander.

    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. 

    Fresh tortellini in a glass mixing bowl.

    Step 4: Add the tortellini to a large bowl.

    Pesto tortellini pasta salad ingredients in a glass mixing bowl.

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

    Pesto tortellini pasta salad in a glass mixing bowl.

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

    Cherry tomatoes on the stem next to a bowl of pasta salad.

    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.

    Close up photo of pesto tortellini pasta salad on a wooden spoon.

    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!

    • Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Snickers Salad
    • Southwestern Layered Salad
    • Easy Grape Salad Recipe

    If you've tried this pesto tortellini pasta salad recipe, don't forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.

    wooden spoon scooping pesto tortellini pasta salad.

    Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

    Easy 5-ingreient Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad takes just minutes to make and is packed with flavor.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 minutes
    Total Time: 12 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 380kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • Large pot

    Ingredients

    • 20-24 ounces fresh cheese tortellini
    • 1 cup basil pesto
    • 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half
    • 12-16 ounce container fresh mozzarella balls drained
    • ¼ cup red onion diced

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
    • Stir in the tortellini and cook for 1 and ½ minutes. Don’t overcook the pasta.
    • Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water until the pasta is cool.
    • Add the drained tortellini to a large bowl.
    • Add in pesto, tomatoes, cheese, and onion.
    • Toss to combine.
    • Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.

    Notes

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 694mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 839IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
    « Dr Pepper Barbecue Sauce
    Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast Casserole »
    • Facebook
    • Email

    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jill

      June 30, 2021 at 10:23 pm

      5 stars
      What a great combination and it was easy, easy, easy. My favorite way to cook.

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 30, 2021 at 10:25 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

        Reply
    2. Becky Butti

      June 30, 2021 at 6:16 am

      5 stars
      Hey Kate. I'm giving this 5 stars because it sounds awesome. I'm in charge of pasta salads for a 4th of July get together and this is going with me. Just in time! Thanks! I'll let you know the results. B

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 30, 2021 at 7:36 am

        Thank you! My family loves this recipe, and I hope it's a big hit for you! =)

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe:




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

    More about me →

    Summer Favorites

    • Zucchini Bread
    • Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Homemade Funnel Cake
    • Golden Graham S'mores
    • Broccoli Salad

    Popular Posts

    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Brownie Cookie Recipe
    • Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar
    • Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins

    Subscribe via email

    to stay in the loop on new posts!

    Footer

    As Featured In

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Legal
    • Rules and Disclosures

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with Me
    • Press

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 I Heart Eating