This easy pesto tortellini pasta salad is the kind of dish that looks like you put in a lot more effort than you did. Cheese tortellini tossed in a lemony pesto dressing with cherry tomatoes, fresh spinach, and basil; with no oven, minimal prep, and ready in 25 minutes. It works as a light dinner, a make-ahead lunch, or a crowd-pleasing side at a summer gathering.

Fresh basil leaves on top of cooked tortellini, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, spinach, and pesto in a bowl.

5 star review

“This is tasty and summery and was perfect for a picnic lunch! ”

– Melody
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Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad with Lemon and Spinach

I make a lot of pasta salads throughout the summer, since they make the perfect fresh & flexible dish for picnics, potlucks, lunches, and light dinners. But this pesto tortellini pasta might just be my new favorite! It looks impressive & tastes like it’s from a fancy bistro, but it’s practically effortless with no oven & minimal prep. Bonus: I love serving it with my lemon grilled chicken or pesto grilled chicken to make a hearty meal packed with veggies (yay!). To keep this pesto tortellini as simple as possible, I used staple ingredients that you can get at any basic grocery store. And with a simple 3-ingredient pesto vinaigrette that adds tons of flavor, this dish feels both easy & elevated. Why make your own dressing? Because in testing I found that pesto alone made the pasta salad a little dry & the pesto turned dull. Adding lemon juice in the vinaigrette makes a world of difference to stay deliciously moist and vibrant. Of course, if you happen to have a lot of fresh basil on hand, you can make my basil pesto to use here.

Bowls of tortellini, spinach, and pesto next to a lemon, basil, and cherry tomatoes.
I love how easy this recipe to make with prepared basil pesto and cheese tortellini.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Whip Up Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

Jump to Recipe Instructions
A bowl with pesto, olive oil, and salt.
Combine pesto, lemon juice, olive oil & salt.
A whisk sitting in a bowl of a creamy vinaigrette.
Whisk until smooth.
Tortellini boiling in a large pot on a stove.
Boil the tortellini.
A hand stirring cooked tortellini and creamy pesto in a bowl.
Mix some dressing with the tortellini.
A hand stirring cooked tortellini, chopped spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes in a bowl.
Stir in tomatoes, spinach & more dressing.
Cooked tortellini, cherry tomatoes, basil, spinach, and pesto in a glass bowl.
Add basil & toss to combine.

Testing Tips for a Simple Cold Tortellini Pasta Salad

  • Do not overcook the tortellini! In testing I found overcooking caused the tortellini to bloat and for the cheese to ooze out–just 2-3 minutes is enough cook time.
  • In creating this recipe, I found that draining the pasta well then immediately tossing it in the pesto dressing allowed the pasta to absorb all the good flavors of that dressing.
  • I love that this dish tastes delicious served warm or at room temperature. And it refrigerates for leftovers really well – just let it come back to room temperature since the oil will likely solidify.
Creamy pesto, tortellini, basil, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl.
Fresh basil leaves on top of cooked tortellini, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, spinach, and pesto in a bowl.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Tortellini Pasta Salad (with Pesto)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
This pesto tortellini pasta salad with spinach, cherry tomatoes, and a lemony pesto vinaigrette comes together in 25 minutes. Great for potlucks and meal prep.
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Ingredients

For the Pesto Dressing

  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Tortellini Salad

  • 1 (20 ounce) package of refrigerated cheese tortellini
  • 2 heaping cups cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

Equipment

  • Large Bowl

Instructions 

  • Make the Pesto Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the pesto, lemon juice, olive oil and salt until smooth.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
  • Cook the Tortellini: Add the refrigerated cheese tortellini and cook according to package instructions until just cooked, usually about 2-3 minutes.
  • Combine: Drain the tortellini well and add to a large bowl. Immediately–while the tortellini is still warm–pour over ⅓ cup of the pesto dressing. Allow the tortellini to sit, cool, and absorb the dressing, about 10 minutes.
  • Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the tomatoes, spinach, and remaining dressing, tossing to combine. Add the basil, and toss again.

Notes

  • Tortellini: I’ve found that most storebought tortellini come in a 9 ounce or 20 ounce package, so if you can only find 9 ounce packages, just get two of those.
  • Basil: Wait for the pasta to cool a bit before adding the fresh basil. In testing the basil turned brown when added too soon, so be sure to wait a bit.
  • Cheese: I thought adding fresh mozzarella made this a little too cheesy for my preference, but if you’re a cheese-fanatic, feel free to throw in some mozzarella balls, burrata or feta!
Course: Appetizer, dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American, Italian, Mediterranean

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 399kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 375mg, Potassium: 82mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1435IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition disclaimer
Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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