Super Easy Tortellini Caprese Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
This embarrassingly easy tortellini caprese salad features cheesy tortellini, fresh mozzarella, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a creamy pesto vinaigrette that comes together in under 20 minutes. Whether you’re bringing something to a potluck, meal prepping for the week, or just need a side dish that isn’t boring, this caprese tortellini salad delivers every single time.
An unconventional pasta salad with juicy tomatoes and extra cheese, please.
But first – story time. A few weeks ago, I got to attend the Fresh Air Retreat. This is a food-centric retreat for food bloggers, hosted by food bloggers. And whole time I felt like pinching myself, because how did I end up here? It really felt like a full circle moment for me and here’s why.
I have been an avid reader of food blogs since I was an undergrad in college. The year was idk, 2010? And blogs were just getting big. I was 19 years old, disgusted with the campus cafeteria and I’d scroll food blogs, fantasizing about all of these amazing, tasty-looking recipes. When I was in grad school in 2013/2014, I actually tried to start a food blog. That’s when I started It’s a Flavorful Life! Unfortunately, running a food blog is a lot harder and more technical than it seems, and I was in the midst of finishing graduate school, taking my exam to be an RD, getting married, starting my first ‘big girl’ job and the blog fell by the wayside. I continued to watch other food bloggers’ journeys for years, thinking ‘gosh if only I could figure out how to do that.’
Fast forward 7ish years to 2020. I had my first baby in February, the world shut down in March. Now I had ‘all this time’, which is sort of a lie when you have a newborn but also sort of true, as I was used to working very long days in a clinic as an outpatient dietitian. So even though I had never stopped sharing pictures of my food on Instagram, I decided to commit a bit more time and start making videos. I was never a great food photographer, so in the era where IG prioritized pretty pictures and aesthetic feeds, my account really fell flat. But when short-form video rolled around, I finally caught some momentum. Turns out, people liked watching and making my recipes!
Eventually, I decided, wow, I should really have a better place for my recipes than the Instagram caption. So it was time for me to give this whole blogging thing another go. At this point, it was 2022, and it felt overwhelming to even enter into the very crowded food blogging world. But I was determined. And hoooo boi, has it been a STEEP learning curve. I learned search engine optimization and food photography and running the backend of a website and keyword research and blog post structure and by February 2024 I qualified for Mediavine! (aka, I was able to get ads on my website and start earning some money) Since then, I’ve been able to grow my tiny dream into a big reality. I earn a full-time living from dreaming up healthy, delicious recipes and sharing them with all my invisible internet friends. It really is just the best.
So, when I was invited to go to the Fresh Air retreat, I was like me!? You want me to attend a food bloggers’ retreat? Get outta here.
Because the other gals who attended the retreat? THEY are the ones whose blogs I had been reading for more than a decade. Wild.
This content creator journey has been rather lonely. I don’t have IRL content creator friends, and although I’ve made a few online connections, it was incredible to be around other creators in real life. The retreat was only three days long, but I truly felt like I made some seriously genuine friendships.
Not only that, but the learning that can happen when you’re with a bunch of peers who just get it? So cool. The retreat is run by Liz of The Lemon Bowl and Lauren of The Curious Plate, and when I tell you, these two are masterminds. I pride myself in being a great planner and host, but hot damn, these girls blew me out of the water lol. Every single detail at the retreat was so cleverly executed. We had our own private chef (Chef Trimell was amazing), a professional photographer (heyyyy Amanda!), and of course all of the awesome brands who sponsored the event.
My favorite meal was the one sponsored by Sunset Produce. I know, a dietitian’s favorite brand is the vegetable one, how predictable. But seriously, the Flavor Bomb tomatoes were already one of my favorites, and I was introduced to their PopIts cucumbers, and now I don’t think I can go back to a regular cucumber. So, this recipe and this post are inspired by the Fresh Air retreat and particularly the tomatoes from Sunset Produce! I’m pretty anti-tomatoes-in-winter, but the Flavor Bombs make it so I can enjoy tomatoes all year round; they are so tasty. So we’re making a simple tortellini pasta salad with a luscious pesto dressing, mozzarella balls and sweet, fresh tomatoes!
Also, a shoutout to the other amazing sponsors of the retreat: Amylu Foods helped us build an epic power bowl featuring their sausages, Butterball hosted a fun happy hour and delicious turkey-centric dinner, Zwilling taught us some super valuable knife skills and Mediavine consulted with each of us on growth strategies for our blogs.
For even more delicious food inspiration and recipes, make sure to check out and follow my new food blogger friends:
​Jess from Choosing Chia
Laura Ashley from Dinner in 321
Christine from Jar of Lemons
Ashley from Recipe Rebel
Brittany from Eating Bird Food
MacKenzie from Grilled Cheese Social
Jennifer from Foodess
​Liz from The Lemon Bowl
Lauren from The Curious Plate
If you’re a fellow food creator or aspiring food blogger, let this be your reminder to GO FOR IT. It’s truly never too late. There is still a place for you on the internet and people who are interested in what you have to offer. I thought I’d never make it, but now I work for myself online and get to go to incredible events like the Fresh Air Retreat. Someone pinch me, please. Oh, and if you’d like to apply for the retreat, you can do so here!
Without futher ado, let’s make a caprese tortellini pasta salad!
Simple Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Pesto Tortellini Salad:
- Cherry Tomatoes: Sunset Produce Flavor Bomb tomatoes obviouslyyy. You can find these at most grocery stores and of course my fave, Costco baby.
- Tortellini: Fresh or refrigerated three cheese tortellini. It cooks in about 3-4 minutes and the filling adds another layer of cheesy richness that makes this salad feel substantial.
- Mozzarella Pearls: Mozzarella pearls are smaller than mozzarella balls and the perfect size for pasta salad. You can, of course, use regular mozzarella balls or cut them in half.
- Pine Nuts: Pine nuts add the perfect crunch. Don’t forget to toast them!
- Balsamic Glaze: I use Nonna Pia’s balsamic glaze from Costco, but you can find it in the oil/vinegar aisle of any grocery store.
- Pesto vinaigrette: Made with fresh pesto, olive oil, a touch of mayo and champagne vinegar, this dressing is so simple and so tasty.
How to Make Tortellini Caprese Salad:
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, about 30-60 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the tortellini according to package directions, usually 3-4 minutes. Drain and transfer immediately to a large bowl. While the tortellini is still warm, toss it with a few tablespoons of the dressing. This prevents sticking and lets it soak up the flavor as it cools. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
Add the sweet cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, toasted pine nuts, parmesan and basil to the cooled tortellini. Pour the remaining dressing over the top and toss to combine.
Finish with a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze, extra parmesan and a few whole basil leaves. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.
FAQs
Yes, and it’s actually great for it. The tortellini soaks up a lot of the dressing, so save a few tablespoons to add right before serving. Or revive the salad with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Wait to add the balsamic glaze until right before serving.
Absolutely. It’s delicious served warm right after assembling, at room temperature, or cold straight from the fridge. It’s one of those recipes that works every way. The mozzarella balls may melt a little, but nothing wrong with that!
Yep! You won’t get the cheese-dumpling vibe of tortellini but any shortcut pasta is delicious here. If you use ‘regular’ pasta like penne or fusilli, cut down the quantity to 10oz of dry pasta.
With this caprese tortellini salad, I like to serve:
Pesto chicken breast (pictured)
Perfect for meal prep or an easy dinner, I know y’all are going to love this caprese pasta salad recipe!
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Tortellini Caprese Salad Recipe with Pesto Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-5 minutes
- Total Time: 16-18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Assemble
- Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Squishy little tortellini pillows enveloped in a creamy pesto vinaigrette hug with pops of juicy tomato and lots of fresh basil. What more could you want in a pasta salad!?
Ingredients
Pesto Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar (sub white wine vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
Tortellini salad
- 1lb three cheese tortellini
- 8oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
- 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 4oz mozzarella pearls
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- for serving: balsamic glaze, basil leaves
Instructions
- Dressing: In a small blender or food processor combine 3 tablespoons pesto, ⅓ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 2 tablespoons mayo, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
- Tortellini: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to the package instructions (usually around 3-4 minutes). Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of the dressing to prevent sticking. Let cool for several minutes.
- Assembly: Add the cherry tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, mozzarella pearls and parmesan cheese to the tortellini. Drizzle with the pesto vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Garnish with a big drizzle of balsamic glaze, more parmesan cheese and a few whole basil leaves.
Ta-da! Summer salad-ing at its very finest.
Serve with balsamic grilled chicken or pesto chicken breast (pictured)Â to make it a full meal!
Notes
To toast pine nuts simply heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts (no oil or butter required here, folks!), and toast, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant.
To see how to chiffonade fresh basil leaves, refer to this post.
Refer to above blog post for ingredient information, step-by-step photos and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: about 2 cups pasta salad
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 641.5 mg
- Fat: 25.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.2 g
- Fiber: 2.8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
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