Summer Tortellini Salad Recipe
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. Perfect for your next potluck, picnic, or BBQ!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 457kcal
Ingredients
- 20 ounces cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- salt and black pepper
- parmesan cheese, shaved (optional)
- fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional)
For the Walnut Pesto
- ¼ cup walnuts, toasted
- ⅓ cup parmesan, shaved or grated
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 3 cups basil leaves
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
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. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- 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: You can make the tortellini and pesto up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- How to serve: Serve chilled, at room temperature, or warmed up. It really depends on your preference.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 705mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1128IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 4mg