Your new favorite summer salad! This easy tortellini pasta salad is piled high with Greek-style goodness and tossed in an amazing pesto dressing.
Oh man, guys. Salad season is SO.ON!
You know what told me so? The 75+ degree weather. The consecutive gorgeous spring days. The fact that my multiple recent grilled dinners HAVE to have a salad sidekick.
Take all this into account and what do you get? Salad season. A months long period known for starting in May and not losing steam until September-ish. Or until the world runs out of ranch dressing or you turn green from overdose of lettuce.
Speaking of green…lookee, LOOKEE what I brought to unofficially kick off the salad spree! It’s green, guys. My obvious first choice of color for all my food.
It’s also pesto. Are you even surprised any more? I don’t try to hide my obsession.
And Greek-style. Plus tortellini which is my first pasta love.
Really, could we be winning the salad game any more today? No. This entire bowl is some form of green GOLD and that is that.
The only work on your part?
- Cook off your tortellini and throw it in your biggest salad bowl.
- Chippity-chop a bunch of Greek veggie + CHEESE goodness and pile it on top.
- Give your pesto dressing a whirl in the food processor.
- On goes the green. Plop goes your face into the whole bowl.
Ba-bang.
Just a guess, but I THINK my family loved this tortellini salad a whole lot? They more or less attacked the bowl with serious ferociousness and left no evidence behind.
Except the cucumbers and tomatoes. Sigh, they’re still learning.
Seriously though, this salad is going to want to make an appearance at ALL your upcoming summer events. Memorial Day…Fathers Day…any other ol’ Tuesday when ‘dangit, you just want a good tortellini salad.
I nominate THIS Tuesday to be a salad day. And every day thereafter. ♥
Greek-Style Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
- DRESSING:
- 1 cup tightly-packed baby spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice from 1 lime 1/4 cup
- SALAD:
- 16 oz cheese tortellini cooked according to package instructions and 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
- 1 small cucumber diced
- 1 sweet pepper diced
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Make the dressing: Place spinach, basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor. With food processor running, drizzle olive oil through top, pulsing until smooth. Transfer dressing to a small bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in lime juice.
- In a large bowl, combine tortellini, cucumber, pepper, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese. Drizzle dressing and reserved cooking water on top. Stir until salad is evenly coated and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill salad until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Make sure you try this Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad next time!!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Even though I eat salads all the time, they just seem to taste better in the summer! This tortellini version looks SO good, Sarah! You had me at pesto, it just makes everything better! I love the zesty flavors in here. So perfect to munch on for all of those summer parties and get-togethers!
Sarah says
Right?? Salads ALWAYS taste better in the summertime when everything’s all fresh!
Laura @Petite Allergy Treats says
This would be a perfect dish to pass Memorial Day! Love all the pesto 😀
Sarah says
So perfect for Memorial Day!! Thanks Laura. 🙂
Ashley@CookNourishBliss says
It is definitely salad season here! It was 90 today! Eeek!! So hot! haha Loving this pasta salad – I am alll about anything with pesto right now!!
Sarah says
Whoa, 90 in May?? That’s craziness! You SO need all the salads in your life, girl!
Cailee says
YUM! Yay for pesto! I’ve actually been craving it lately! This looks perfect! So great for this time of year! Thanks for sharing!
xoxo Cailee!
Sarah says
Pesto is the best! Thanks Cailee!
marcie says
I’ve been making Greek style everything lately — the flavors are so great in so many different dishes! I love that this can be the perfect side dish, lunch, or dinner too — it’s a complete multi-tasker!
Sarah says
Greek-style is seriously my favorite! It’s the best. 😉 Thanks Marcie!
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
This is the prettiest pasta salad I’ve seen and I love all the flavor combos, cucumber, pesto, feta? so many of my favorites!
Sarah says
Aww you are so sweet Aimee!!
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
Tortellini salad is one of my faaavorites. I used to have it all the time when I was little because I went through a phase of not liking sandwiches (lol) so my mom would pack a little tupperware of tortellini salad in my lunches. This fancied up version looks incredible! Definitely on my warm weather menu. 🙂
Sarah says
Haha! I went through that same sandwich hating phase when I was a kid too! 😀 Thanks Alyssa!
Michelle Kreifels says
It look goo.
Robin Verhasselt says
Can you make this the night before? Is that avocado and cilantro in the picture?
Sarah says
Yes, this salad can absolutely be made the night before! And no, there is no avocado or cilantro in this recipe but you are welcome to add it if you want!
Samantha says
Made this for a BBQ and it was so delish!! Only negative was I didn’t make enough for everyone to have seconds! Thank you!