Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad with Balsamic Glaze
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Pesto tortellini salad is a delicious pasta salad made with cheese tortellini, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, and a sweet balsamic glaze. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and can be made ahead of time. Bonus: it travels well, so it makes the perfect potluck or BBQ side dish!
This pesto tortellini pasta salad is one of those recipes I turn to when I want something bold and satisfying without spending much time in the kitchen. It comes together in about 15 minutes thanks to refrigerated cheese tortellini, and the flavors taste as if they took a whole lot longer. I like to think of it as my favorite pasta night turned into a salad — equally comforting, but a little more lively and perfect for warm days, potlucks, or leisurely lunches.
Cheese tortellini is the heart of this salad. You can experiment with other fillings, but I always come back to cheese because it lets the pesto shine. Sun-dried tomatoes add deep, concentrated flavor (though cherry tomatoes work well if that’s more your style), while olives and artichoke hearts bring salty, briny, Mediterranean vibes. A drizzle of balsamic glaze ties everything together with just the right touch of sweetness, and a handful of fresh basil perks up store-bought pesto and makes the whole dish taste extra fresh.
This is the kind of pasta salad that doesn’t need much fuss. Toss everything together while the tortellini is still slightly warm, so it soaks up all that pesto goodness, then serve it right away or chill it for later. It travels well, holds up beautifully in the fridge, and is just as good eaten straight from the bowl as it is served alongside grilled chicken, fish, or veggies. Honestly, it’s hard to go wrong when pesto and tortellini are involved.
Quick tip
While the pasta salad you see in the pictures was made with store-bought pesto, we LOVE making this salad with our 5-minute creamy pesto sauce. It’s a real game-changer and if you have a few spare minutes and want to impress your friends (or yourself!) then making homemade pesto is the way to go.
But don’t worry, it’s still delicious if you go the store-bought route!
Variations to try
To keep things fresh and new each time you make this tortellini pasta salad, try adding one or more of these:
- A few handfuls of arugula or spinach
- Halved cherry tomatoes
- Mozzarella pearls or bocconcini
- Toasted pine nuts or spicy cashews
What to serve with tortellini pasta salad
While you could easily eat a bowl of this and call it dinner, it’s a great recipe to serve as a side dish at a picnic or backyard BBQ.
Mains that go great with pasta salad:
Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 10 ounces cheese tortellini
- ½ cup chopped black olives
- ½ cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ¼ cup basil pesto (homemade or storebought)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze (reduced balsamic vinegar)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions – usually 6-8 minutes.10 ounces cheese tortellini
- Drain the tortellini, then put it back into the pot- see notes. Add the black olives, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, basil, and parmesan and toss so that everything is mixed together and coated in pesto.½ cup chopped black olives, ½ cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts, ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, ¼ cup basil pesto, ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, ½ cup grated parmesan
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over top then serve.1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
OMG!!! This is the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. Seriously. We all loved it. I almost didn’t go to the trouble with the Balsamic Glaze but I’m glad that I did. I will definitely make this again, and again, and again!