Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto

Caprese tortellini pasta salad with pesto is a fresh take on pesto pasta salad. Pillowy cheese tortellini gets tossed with lemon pesto, sweet cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil, and creamy mozzarella for a delicious cold pasta dish you’ll love! Perfect for lunch or dinner as a main or a side dish.

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When the weather gets warm, my kids pretty much demand to be outside until it gets dark out.

Which means we are either grilling or eating something we’ve made earlier in the day for dinner out on our patio.

It cuts down on the resistence so much to just feed them where they want to be, you know?

This Caprese tortellini pasta salad with pesto is the perfect make ahead meal for days when making a meal in the oven like Easy Baked Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce just won’t do.

We can throw it together in a few minutes in the morning and pull it out of the fridge in the evening ready to eat.

And that is why this tortellini Caprese salad is one of the things we make over and over again right now.

You’ve got to love a dish that gives you that kind of convenience and flexibility especially when you have three kids running around.

And perhaps best yet?

The leftovers of this tortellini Caprese salad hold up beautifully.

Unlike other pasta salads, it doesn’t get soggy or weird.

So you can make a giant batch and eat it for a few days if you want!

Why You’ll Love Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto

So many reasons but mainly:

• It’s super quick to make! About 20 minutes total and 10 of those minutes or so are boiling water.
• You can make it ahead of time so it is convenient for busy days.
• The leftovers hold up really well so you can plan to eat it for or with several meals.
• It’s absolutely delicious with fresh mozzarella, pillowy tortellini, tomatoes, fragrant basil and bright herby lemon pesto.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

To make this you’ll need:

• Tortellini– 12 ounces of cheese tortellini. It doesn’t matter if you are using fresh tortellini or dried tortellini. Just cook it according to the instructions on the package.
• Mozzarella– A whopping pound of fresh mini mozzarella balls also known as bocconcini or mozzarella pearls. You can find this in the specialty cheese case at most grocery stores.
• Tomatoes– A pint of cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half.
• Basil– Fresh basil leaves. Very important: dried basil will not work as a substiute.
• Lemon juice– Fresh lemon juice
• Pesto– 8 ounces of either homemade pesto sauce or store bought.
• Salt and pepper– To taste

Kitchen supplies you’ll need are minimal but include:

• a pasta pot
• a large bowl
• knife and cutting board

How to Make Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto

1. Cook the tortellini.

Cook the tortellini according to the instructions on the package.

When it’s done cooking drain it, and let it cool.

While the tortellini cooks, chop the tomatoes in half and cut the basil leaves into ribbons.

2. Stir the pesto and lemon together.

In a small bowl, stir together the pesto and the lemon juice or make homemade lemon pesto sauce instead!

You want to use enough lemon to thin the pesto out to a viniagrette consistency.

3. Assemble the tortellini caprese salad.

In a large bowl, mix together the lemon pesto sauce with the cooked and cooled tortellini, mozzarella balls, halved tomatoes, and basil until everything is coated.

Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve right away or refrigerate and enjoy later.

Storing Leftovers

Store this tortellini pasta salad in a tightly covered bowl or airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! We often make this the morning before we intend to serve it or even the night before.

Just make sure you keep the tortellini pasta salad refrigerated.

FAQs

Tips and Tricks

• This caprese tortellini pasta salad with pesto holds up remarkably well and is perfect for making ahead of time.
• Because it holds up so well, we often double this recipe and make a huge batch.
• Not a fan of fresh tomatoes? Substitute sun dried. It makes the prep even easier since they are all ready chopped up. You could use either the kind packed in oil or the dry kind.
• Want to fill this meal out with some protein? Add some grilled chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken.
• You could use this Traditional Pesto Genovese Recipe or this Easy Lemon Pesto Sauce in this recipe for some next level yummy.

Other Caprese Recipes

• Easy Tortellini Caprese Skewers– Basically this pasta salad in an appetizer form making it perfect for a party or the holidays
• Fried Mozzarella Caprese– Why not bread and fry the mozzarella?
• Easy Baguette Caprese Sandwich with Pesto– The perfect lunch anytime
• Puff Pastry Caprese Cups– Yet another tasty appetizer with little buttery puff pastry cups full of Caprese salad
• Burrata Panzanella Salad Recipe– Decadent cream filled mozzarella in a tomato bread salad.
• Strawberry Caprese Salad– Sweet strawberries replace tomatoes in this salad.
• 5 Minute Easy Caprese Panini Sandwich with Pesto– The best grown up grilled cheese ever!
• Panzanella Caprese Salad– Caprese and toasted bread cubes.
• Instant Pot Caprese Pasta– Yummy hot or chilled!
• Mini Caprese Skewers– Make the salad into a beautiful portable appetizer
• Shrimp Caprese Pasta– Pasta with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil along with shrimp
• The Best Burrata Caprese Salad– Rich burrata replaces mozzarella.
• Elegant and Easy Prosciutto Caprese Skewers– Caprese skewers with the addition of thinly sliced prosciutto.
• Easy Pesto Caprese Salad (Italian Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Salad)– Pretty much this without the tortellini action going on.

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