Summer Tortellini Salad

Summer tortellini salad is a bright, cheesy, and zingy vegetarian pasta salad that's full of summer produce and ready in less than 30 minutes. We're going for an Italian/Mediterranean vibe with our light and fresh ingredients, and because it can be served chilled or at room temperature, it's a perfect meal for your next potluck, picnic, or BBQ!

As the days get warmer, I try to stick to stovetop cooking, which includes a variety of pasta dishes like shallot pasta, easy pasta primavera, or one pot pasta. But when you want a dish that's not only garden-fresh but also versatile, pasta salad is the way to go.

This summer tortellini salad recipe incorporates so many of my favorite summer ingredients: juicy tomatoes, snappy zucchini, and aromatic basil.

It's bright, zippy, robust, and loaded with creamy cheese tortellini. The garlicky walnut pesto gets caught in all of the nooks and crannies of the tortellini (you can easily skip the walnuts for a nut-free version); I might have to just call this perfection in a bowl.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why This Tortellini Salad is The Best
• 🍅 Ingredient Notes
• 📋 Variations and Substitutions
• 🔪 How To Make Summer Tortellini Salad
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 🍽 How to Serve Vegetarian Tortellini Salad
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍝 More Summer Recipes
• Summer Tortellini Salad Recipe

⭐️ Why This Tortellini Salad is The Best

• Bright, zingy, creamy, and herby tortellini salad
• Healthy vegetarian pasta salad that's high in protein and made with fresh ingredients
• Simple pasta dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes
• Great way to use fresh summer produce
• Fun option for your next summer picnic/potluck/bbq
• Make ahead instructions provided

🍅 Ingredient Notes

• Cheese tortellini - Use fresh or frozen; cook according to package instructions, making sure not to overcook.
• Cherry tomatoes - Sweet baby tomatoes that have a nice snap when you bite into them. Try them in my vegetarian frittata. Use your favorite variety of tomato, or use canned (diced) tomatoes.
• Parmesan cheese - This is completely optional, since the tortellini already has cheese in it, but I love the additional nutty saltiness that Parmesan adds.
• Fresh basil - A summertime staple herb! This is what gives our pesto that aromatic and woodsy taste. Use it in this vegetarian bean salad!
• Walnuts - Although traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, they are very expensive and can be hard to find. Walnuts are a nice substitute to provide that rich and nutty flavor.
• Garlic - I recommend using fresh garlic whenever possible.

📋 Variations and Substitutions

• Pasta. Any pasta with interesting texture will work great for this recipe (but it won't be cheese-filled like the tortellini). Farfalle, rotini, orecchiette, etc. would all be delicious.
• Make it nut-free: Although the walnuts do add a delicious nutty flavor, they don't make or break the pesto sauce. You can omit them completely, or make my green sauce for pasta as a substitute.
• Protein. The cheese provides a good amount of protein here, but if you want to bump it up even more, you could add shredded chicken, chickpeas, or tofu.
• Use a mix of summer produce. Utilize a different combination of summer veggies each time you make it - corn, bell peppers, cucumbers, etc. would all work great.
• Add more Italian flavor. Add 1 teaspoon of homemade Italian seasoning! Keep it on hand and add it to all of your favorite Italian recipes.
• Leafy greens. For more fiber and nutrition, add a few handfuls of kale, spinach, or Swiss chard.

🔪 How To Make Summer Tortellini Salad

*See recipe card below for printable instructions.

Cook the tortellini according to instructions on package. Drain well and rinse under cold water immediately.

While tortellini is cooking, make the walnut pesto: In the bowl of a food processor, add walnuts, parmesan, and garlic, and pulse until finely ground. Scrape down sides of bowl, and add basil leaves. Mix for an additional minute. With motor on, slowly add olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and set aside.

Place cooked tortellini in a large bowl, and add tomatoes and zucchini.

Add pesto to bowl and mix until ingredients are well coated.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. If using shaved parmesan and fresh basil, add to bowl.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Storage: Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• How to freeze: Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
• Make ahead instructions: You can make the tortellini and pesto up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Cook according to package instructions. It's very important that you cook your pasta according to package instructions (you can use fresh or frozen tortellini). Don't overcook - cooking 1 or 2 minutes less is better than overcooking. Overcooked pasta will turn mushy and gummy.
• Run tortellini under cold water. Don't skip this step! This does two things: It stops the cooking process immediately, and it prevents the pasta from clumping together.

🍽 How to Serve Vegetarian Tortellini Salad

Serve your cheese tortellini salad chilled, at room temperature, or warmed up. It depends on your preference, so you really can't go wrong!

Serve your pasta salad as an accompaniment to a main dish like tomato tart; or as a main accompanied by a summery side dish, like healthy baked beans, stuffed zucchini or avocado gazpacho

Pair it with a summery appetizer like bruschetta with balsamic glaze; try it with refreshing lemon cucumber ginger water; and don't forget s'mores bars or an apricot galette for dessert!

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍝 More Summer Recipes

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