Description
This Tortellini Pesto Salad features a burst of flavor with fresh basil, cheese tortellini, and colorful veggies. Quick and easy to prepare, it’s a great choice for a healthy meal or a fun gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups fresh basil, packed, stems removed
- 1–2 garlic cloves, whole or minced
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts or walnuts, toasted if desired
- juice of one lemon
- ½ – ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 20 oz. cheese tortellini
- 2–3 handfuls baby spinach, chopped
- 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls
- ½– ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, in Italian herbs, the kind in oil
- More chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. Set aside.
- Combine the pesto ingredients in a food processor, starting with ½ cup of olive oil. Process until smooth with a bit of graininess for texture, adding more olive oil to achieve desired consistency.
- Toss the cooked tortellini with about ¾ of the prepared pesto until well coated. If it appears too dry, drizzle in more olive oil.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the tortellini and mix thoroughly. Adjust pesto to taste, saving some for final serving if needed.
- Chill the salad until ready to serve and garnish with additional chopped basil.
Notes
Feel free to substitute walnuts for pine nuts or adjust the amount of cheese to your taste.
This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg