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Large white serving bowl with caprese tortellini salad with pesto vinaigrette

Tortellini Caprese Salad Recipe with Pesto Vinaigrette

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  • Author: Erica Baty
  • 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

Units Scale

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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) 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