Pesto Tortellini Salad With Chicken

This Pesto Tortellini Salad with Chicken recipe is a total weeknight savior. Most of the ingredients are pantry-friendly, and if you use fresh tortellini, this dish can be on your table in about 10 minutes! And, you are going to love it. Tortellini tossed in creamy pesto sauce with chicken for protein and a zing from the cherry tomatoes.

Why Make This Recipe

• Only 6 ingredients! And so fast to make. Really, it’s a stretch to even call it a recipe.
• Travels well. In fact, this is perfect buffet food. Easy to make ahead of time, then serve for a crowd. Delicious at any temperature!
• Easy to make vegetarian! The chicken in this recipe really is optional. You can leave it out for an excellent vegetarian main course or side dish.

🥗 Ingredients

• Pesto: I used my Simple Lemon Basil Pesto for this recipe. It's easy to make, and so much more delicious than store-bought. But if you don't have the time or the basil, feel free to use whatever brand of pesto you like!
• Sun-dried tomatoes: In France, we can get these half-dried tomatoes (semi-séchée) which I just love. If those are available in your region, please try them with this recipe. If not, regular sun-dried tomatoes are fine. Or, replace with halved cherry tomatoes. Those work too!
• Chicken: You can easily leave this out of the recipe for a vegetarian dish. Or, replace with lightly sautéed tofu cubes.
• Mayonnaise: My go-to mayonnaise brand is Hellman’s Mayonnaise (known as Best Foods in the western U.S.), but you can use whatever you prefer (or make your own!).

🥣 Instructions

If garnishing with pine nuts, toast 2 tablespoons pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Watch carefully, as pine nuts burn quickly! Stir frequently, and turn off the heat when pine nuts are golden brown.

Drain 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, then pat dry with a paper towel and cut into ½-inch chunks.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add tortellini, cooking according to package directions. While tortellini is cooking, stir ½ cup pesto and ¼ cup mayonnaise together in a large bowl.

Drain tortellini well, then add to bowl with pesto mayo. Stir in tomatoes and chicken.

Garnish with pine nuts and shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.

🧐 Recipe FAQs

Can I make this pesto tortellini salad ahead of time?Yes, absolutely! It’s totally fine to make this a day or two ahead of serving. Toss it together and keep it refrigerated. You can serve it cold, at room temperature, or warm. If the pasta sauce dries out a bit, you can toss it with a little more pesto before serving. Or combine a tablespoon of pesto with mayonnaise and stir that in.

Can I freeze this?I wouldn't recommend freezing this dish as the texture won’t be the same when you defrost and then reheat it. A big soft pasta like a tortellini just isn't very freezer-friendly.

For more Expert Tips, check out my full recipe post at https://www.vanillabeancuisine.com/pesto-tortellini-salad-with-chicken/.