This pesto tortellini pasta salad is a bright and fresh easy summer side dish- loaded with vegetables and a herby pesto sauce! This is a great cold pasta salad to enjoy on a hot day or bring to a summer potluck. You can use any tortellini you have on hand, and toss it with fresh veggies and a bright and fresh pesto sauce!
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This pesto tortellini pasta salad will bring the flavor to your next summer get-together! This fresh pasta salad is loaded with healthy good-for-you ingredients, and is ready in about 30 minutes. This is a great side dish to bring along to a picnic, or just a nice dish to enjoy for lunch. I used store-bought tortellini which is fairly inexpensive and whipped up a fresh pesto dressing to toss it with.
This Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe Is:
- Bright
- Fresh
- Loaded with Veggies
- Herby
- Simple
- Great for entertaining
- Vegetarian, and can easily be made vegan!
A Great Make-Ahead Pesto Pasta Salad for Entertaining
This vegetarian pesto tortellini salad recipe is fantastic to make ahead of time for a party, potluck, or gathering. Making this recipe in advance allows you to skip any cooking or prep on the day-of. This is a great recipe to entertain with, or bring to an event. A crowd-pleaser that everyone is sure to love!
What’s In This Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto Dressing?
- Dried Tortellini – there are some really fantastic dried tortellini options out there, like this Barilla cheese and spinach version. Trader Joe’s also has a great dried tortellini in their pasta aisle as well. If you are looking for a vegan version, Kite Hill has a fantastic dairy free filled pasta that would also work in this recipe so well!
- Bell Pepper: If you don’t have fresh peppers, these sweet roasted red peppers are a great substitute! I love adding them to breakfast bakes, sandwiches or wraps, and soups.
- Kalamata Olives: make sure they are pitted! I love the rich briney flavor of these herby kalamata olives, which have a purple hue and a really nice flavor. These Greek olives are fantastic for adding to salads, to dips, or just as a quick snack. I like to use these olive packs, which are great for when you need a handful of olives like in this dish.
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Red Wine Vinegar: I used red wine vinegar for the dressing to give this dish a really nice bright Mediterranean flavor – for that, this red wine vinegar is my go-to!
- Olive Oil: I like to use this fruity Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry. For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
- Garlic: I use fresh garlic when I have it, and this great jarred organic garlic when I don’t have fresh. It’s actually super convenient to have pre-chopped garlic on hand for quick and easy meal prep.
- Oregano: a spice I always put in my pasta salads! This dried oregano has a bright and earthy flavor, and goes so well with the tortellini.
- Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use a pink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt. It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.
- Tellicherry Peppercorns: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper. Amazon has a generic brand tellicherry peppercorn which is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor… so I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend.
30 Minute Side Dishes for Entertaining
This pesto tortellini is what I call an Easy Entertaining Recipe – which is on your table in about 30 minutes. These quick and simple recipes are perfect for those last-minute potluck invites, or when you just want a healthy homecooked meal but don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Easy Weeknight Meals, that are great for the whole family. From soups and stews, to pastas and proteins – a healthy meal can be on your table in no time. Just as fast as grabbing a quick prepared side dish from the store (and way more impressive too)!
How Do I Make Tortellini Salad with Pesto Dressing?
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cool water, and place in a large serving bowl to cool.
- Add the roasted red peppers, olives, spinach, and cherry tomatoes to the cooled tortellini.
- To make the dressing, add all the pesto dressing ingredients together in a blender or a food processor. And blend on high to combine until the pesto is smooth and creamy. Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil if your pesto is too thick and needs to be thinned to a dressing consistency.
- Pour pesto dressing over the pasta salad, and toss well to combine.
Dietary Modifications
- To make this pesto tortellini salad vegan, just use a vegan or dairy free tortellini – Kite Hill makes a great version with plant based ricotta!
- Similarly, if you are looking for a gluten free version, make sure you use a certified GF tortellini.
Other Healthy Vegetarian Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!
Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Pasta Salad with Avocado Dressing Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette (Vegetarian, GF, Vegan Option)
Tzatziki Pasta Salad (Gluten Free, Vegan, Summer Side Dish)
The Absolute BEST Greek Pasta Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free Options)
Get the Same Ingredients I Use In My Pesto Veggie Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe:
As always, if you make this vegetarian pesto tortellini pasta salad recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad (Vegetarian)
Ingredients
For the Tortellini Salad
- 1 12- ounce package tortellini
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cups fresh spinach
For the Pesto Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cool water, and place in a large serving bowl to cool.
- Add the roasted red peppers, olives, spinach, and cherry tomatoes to the cooled tortellini.
- To make the dressing, add all the pesto dressing ingredients together in a blender or a food processor. And blend on high to combine until the pesto is smooth and creamy. Add 1 additional tablespoon of olive oil if your pesto is too thick and needs to be thinned to a dressing consistency.
- Pour pesto dressing over the pasta salad, and toss well to combine.
Nutrition
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This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the brands that support The Herbeevore and our bee hives!
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