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Pesto tortellini pasta salad is a quick and easy side dish that whips up in minutes making it ideal for potlucks or weeknight meals.
Sure, the unofficial fall season is upon us, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up our easy pasta salads like this pesto tortellini pasta salad just yet. I mean, with back to school and back to work in full force, isn’t this the best time to make quick, easy, and tasty dishes the focus of our menus?
Well this pasta salad is just that.
Quick…15 minutes start to finish. For real.
Easy…under 10 ingredients and nothing that’s hard to find.
Tasty…well obviously! Freshly cooked pasta, veggies at their peak, and a creamy pesto dressing that is tangy and well seasoned.
Honestly, the most laborious thing about this recipe is cooking and draining the tortellini. I even use store-bought pesto to make it super easy. I love the vibrant green from the pesto and the peas in contrast to the juicy red tomatoes.
The dressing is creamy and tangy, without feeling heavy. This is because I use plain yogurt with just a little mayo, but sour cream can be substituted in a pinch.
I’m hanging on to my summery sides for a little longer and I’ll be sure to keep this recipe in my repertoire straight through the fall. Pumpkins can wait!
Let’s make pesto tortellini pasta salad
- Combine the cooked tortellini, chopped tomatoes and peas in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, mayo, pesto, parmesan and sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Whisk the dressing well to combine and adjust the seasoning.
- Add the yogurt dressing to the tortellini mixture and toss well. Serve.
Tips for success
- Use tortellini that is still a little warm (cooled only slightly after draining) so it can better absorb the dressing.
- Either fresh or frozen peas work well in this recipe. No need to cook them first, just toss them in with the tortellini.
- Greek yogurt makes this pasta salad super creamy and tangy, without being overly mayonnaise-y.
- Store-bought pesto dressing is readily available, but if you have an abundance of basil in your garden make your own. Simply blend a bunch of fresh basil with a handful of pine nuts, a couple cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and a glug (about 1/4 cup) of olive oil.
More tasty side dish salads
Pesto tortellini pasta salad is a quick and easy side dish that whips up in minutes making it ideal for potlucks or weeknight meals.
- 2 10 oz packages cheese tortellini, cooked according to package directions
- 1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup pesto, store-bought or homeamde
- 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
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After cooking the tortellini according to the package directions, drain and allow to cool slightly. Combine with the tomatoes and peas.
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In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients for the dressing.
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Whisk the dressing together well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Add the dressing to the tortellini mixture and toss well to combine.
- Use tortellini that is still a little warm (cooled only slightly after draining) so it can better absorb the dressing.
- Either fresh or frozen peas work well in this recipe. No need to cook them first, just toss them in with the tortellini.
- Greek yogurt makes this pasta salad super creamy and tangy, without being overly mayonnaise-y.
- Store-bought pesto dressing is readily available, but if you have an abundance of basil in your garden make your own. Simply blend a bunch of fresh basil with a handful of pine nuts, a couple cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and a glug (about 1/4 cup) of olive oil.
Jessamyn says
I put sour cream and a bit of oat milk in instead of yogurt. It was so good I haven’t tried the yogurt yet but I’m sure that is so good too. Or mabey better well will see☺️ I also added big grated parmesan and fresh matzarella cheese chunks. It was so yummy. Thank you for this delish resapie.