Pesto Pasta Salad
Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad combines cheesy tortellini, fresh vegetables, and vibrant basil pesto for a deliciously easy side dish that your whole family will love.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 20 oz fresh cheese tortellini
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls strained
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes cut
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese Locatelli
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup fresh basil chiffonade for garnish
- ¾ cup pesto our recipe
- coarse black pepper to taste
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Instructions
Instructions:
- Cook the tortellini according to package instructions, and then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Once cooled and drained, add tortellini to a large bowl.
- Add mozzarella pearls, sundried tomatoes, grated parmesan, basil, and onion to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the pesto to the mixture and stir to coat the pasta evenly with the pesto. Start with ½ cup and then add more to taste as needed.
- Season with black pepper to taste.
- Cover and place into refrigerator for at least thirty minutes before serving.
- Stir before serving, and garnish with parmesan cheese and basil.
Notes
Can I change up the ingredients?
We used our homemade Pesto Genovese (which takes approximately 10 minutes to prepare) to make our tortellini pasta salad with pesto. But feel free to use store-bought pesto instead. Many grocery stores have a fresh version on their prepared food bars. You can also buy a jarred version, but they're not the best choice.
Most recipes include pine nuts or walnuts, but they can be omitted from the recipe; it's not a deal breaker.
You can find fresh tortellini in most supermarkets, but you can use frozen or dried tortellini. Just make sure to cook it according to the instructions on the package before use. Fresh will have the best texture and flavor, but the others will work as well.
If you're not a fan of tortellini, you can use your favorite pasta shape instead. Rotini, farfalle, penne, or cavatappi pasta are good alternatives. Whatever pasta you choose should be able to hold onto the pesto well.
You can also use other versions of pesto to make the salad. Sun-dried tomato pesto and arugula pesto are two of my favorites. You can also skip the pesto and use your favorite Italian salad dressing instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 558kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 26gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 834mgPotassium: 338mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 824IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 382mgIron: 4mg
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