Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto
This Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto is a fresh, effortless summer dish made with refrigerated tortellini, tomatoes, mozzarella, and mint pesto. A low-effort recipe ready in 20 minutes.
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This Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto is the kind of side dish that’s great for last-minute invites to a barbecue or summer party. It comes together in about 20 minutes with minimal prep, travels well, and manages to feel effortless while being a crowd-pleasing favorite at the same time.
I used my homemade Mint Pesto, made with fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, toasted pistachios, and lemon. It’s brighter and more herb-forward than a classic basil pesto, and it coats the tortellini so well. Paired with sweet cherry tomatoes, creamy mini mozzarella, and a bit of sharp red onion, every bite has a vibrant flavor that’s so satisfying.
I developed this recipe to be an even more pesto-packed version of the popular tortellini pasta salad you often find at the grocery store deli counter.
Ingredients You’ll need
Here’s what goes into this tortellini pasta salad recipe.
![Ingredients for Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto arranged in glass bowls on a butcher block surface, including tortellini, cherry tomatoes, mini mozzarella, red onion, fresh parsley, and a jar of mint pesto]](https://pestoandpotatoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Ingredients-for-Tortellini-Pasta-Salad-with-Pesto.jpg.webp)
- Refrigerated tortellini — I use a 20-ounce package of two-color cheese tortellini, and tri-color is another great option if you can find it. Refrigerated tortellini is the way to go for the best texture. The mix of plain and spinach tortellini also makes for a more inviting presentation.
- Pesto — One cup of homemade Mint Pesto is what makes this salad stand out. If you haven’t made it yet, it takes about 10 minutes in a food processor and keeps in the refrigerator all week. Store-bought pesto can be substituted.
- Cherry tomatoes — Two cups, halved. Use the ripest, sweetest tomatoes you can find. Peak summer tomatoes from the farmers market make a noticeable difference.
- Mini mozzarella balls — Eight ounces of ciliegine, or mini mozzarella balls. They’re the perfect size to toss with the tortellini and hold up well in the salad.
- Red onion — Half a cup, finely diced. It adds a sharp, savory contrast that keeps the salad from feeling one-note.
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley — About a quarter cup, roughly chopped. It echoes the herbs already in the pesto and gives the pasta salad a fresh finish.
How to Make Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto
This recipe comes together in a few simple steps with very little active cooking time.
Cook the tortellini. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the refrigerated tortellini for 1 minute less than the package directions. This keeps the pasta firm enough to hold its shape once tossed and chilled. For a 3-minute tortellini, 2 minutes is the target. Drain and immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta down completely.
Prep the remaining ingredients. While the tortellini cools, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the red onion, and roughly chop the parsley.
Toss everything together. Add the cooled tortellini to a large bowl with the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, red onion, and parsley. Add the pesto and toss gently until everything is evenly coated. And that’s it!
Serve or chill. This salad is excellent served right away at room temperature. It also holds up well refrigerated for a couple of hours before serving, which makes it ideal for making ahead before a potluck or barbecue. You can stir in a couple extra tablespoons of pesto or a drizzle of olive oil if the pasta soaks up too much of the sauce.
Tips for the Best Tortellini Pasta Salad
A few things that make a real difference with this recipe:
- Undercook the tortellini on purpose. This is the single most important tip. Refrigerated tortellini is delicate, and if it’s cooked to the full package time, it will continue to soften as it sits in the salad and break open. Pulling it a minute early keeps the pasta intact and gives the salad a much better texture.
- Rinse the pasta with cold water. Don’t skip this step. Rinsing stops the cooking immediately and prevents the tortellini from sticking together as it cools. It also brings the pasta to the right temperature for the salad.
- Make the pesto ahead. The pesto keeps in the refrigerator for up to five days, so you can easily make it at the start of the week and have this salad ready to assemble in under 15 minutes on the day you need it. The Mint Pesto recipe is linked in the ingredients.
- Use the best tomatoes you can find. Cherry tomatoes at peak ripeness are sweet, juicy, and full of flavor. If you can get them at a farmers market or grow your own, use them here.
Serving Suggestions
This tortellini pasta salad works well as a side dish alongside grilled or roasted proteins, or as a light lunch with a can of tuna. A few ideas for what to serve it with:
It pairs naturally with anything off the grill like grilled shrimp skewers, fish, or assorted vegetables. If you’re building out a summer spread for a crowd, this salad rounds out the offering alongside my Spring Pesto and Potato Salad and a simple Cannellini Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This salad is best the day it’s made, when the tortellini is at its freshest and the pesto hasn’t fully absorbed into the pasta yet. That said, leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pesto will continue to soak into the pasta as it sits, which deepens the flavor. You can wake it back up with a couple of tablespoons of pesto or a drizzle of olive oil to serve.
To make it ahead, cook and cool the tortellini and prep the remaining ingredients, then store everything separately and toss with the pesto within an hour or two of serving.
Tortellini Pasta Salad with Pesto
Ingredients
- 20 ounces refrigerated tortellini
- 1 cup Mint Pesto, or other homemade or store-bought pesto
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces mini mozzarella balls, drained
- ½ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions, reducing the cook time by 1 minute to prevent the pasta from becoming too soft. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and cool the pasta completely.
- Transfer the cooled tortellini to a large bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, red onion, and parsley.
- Add the Mint Pesto and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Refrigerated tortellini gives the best texture for this salad. If using dried, shelf-stable tortellini, reduce the cook time by 1 to 2 minutes from package directions to keep the pasta from falling apart once tossed.
- Rinsing the tortellini under cold water after draining is important. It stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from sticking together.
- This salad is best served the day it’s made, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pesto will continue to absorb into the pasta as it sits, so you can stir in a couple of additional tablespoons of pesto, as needed.
- Homemade Mint Pesto is linked in the ingredients. Store-bought basil pesto works as a substitute, but the mint version gives the salad a distinctly fresh, summery character.
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