Summer Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

This lovely summer pasta salad is loaded with fresh veggies and topped with a tangy pesto dressing to give it an extra pop of flavor!

One lovely summer Sunday morning I was walking home from brunch with a few friends and we were talking about the “farm” lots on my street.   These are basically lots that the city of Chicago has designated as “green space”.  You can rent space to grow veggies or other things.  I happen to have three of them on my street, and as we were walking past the one run by the local Montessori school one of the moms who was working in the garden overheard us talking and invited us in.  

She told us a little about how the school runs the lot, what they do with the veggies and then showed us the goat house that “farmer” Joe was building so the goats would stay warm in the winter.  I had no idea there were goats, and apparently chickens too, right down the street from my condo!  Then she also offered me basil, LOTS of basil, as her plants were a bit overgrown.  My basil plants are kinda on their last legs so I wasn’t going to turn that offer down, and it seemed like the perfect reason to head home and make this tortellini pesto pasta salad!!

I think that pasta salad and summer go hand-in-hand.  It’s a great way to use fresh summer veggies like tomatoes and basil to create a wonderful light summer meal or a hearty side dish.  Pasta salad also packs well so it makes a great addition to a summer BBQ or picnic.  It also works well for an easy weekday lunch.  This particular salad was originally inspired by a pasta salad in Julee Rosso’s cookbook Great Good Food.

Three important characteristics of a good pasta salad are lots of fresh veggies,  perfectly cooked pasta and a great dressing.  I use cheese tortellini however if you like you can substitute with your favorite type for a flavor variation.  You’ll also want really fresh sweet grape tomatoes to give the salad an extra punch of flavor.  If you happen to have lots of basil on hand, you might want to make some extra dressing as it is great with other veggies or mixed with chicken for quick and flavorful chicken salad.

If you are planning to save some of the salad for lunch the next day, I’d recommend reserving a little dressing as well.  There is nothing like a freshly dressed salad for an extra pop of flavor!  With a great combination of tomatoes, peppers, artichokes and edamame this salad definitely fits that description!   I just love all the bright colors of this pasta salad and think it’s the perfect summer lunch or light dinner.

If you are looking for some other great salads for summer BBQs check out this Mexican Street Corn Pasta salad or this Beluga Lentil and Basmati Rice Salad.

Summer Tortellini Pesto Pasta Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Kathryn | FoodieGirlChicago
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This lovely summer pasta salad is loaded with fresh veggies and topped with a tangy pesto dressing to give it an extra pop of flavor!

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Ingredients

For the salad: 

• 1 12 oz package cheese tortellini 
• 1 cup Cherubs or other sweet grape tomatoes, cut in half 
• 1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper 
• 2 green onions, chopped 
• 1 8 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained 
• 1/3 cup shelled edamame, cooked 
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chopped chicken 

For the dressing:  

• 1 clove garlic 
• 1/2 cup basil leaves, packed tightly
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts 
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 
• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (I use basil, oregano and Italian parsley) 

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Instructions

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions.  Drain and set aside to cool.  
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, pepper, green onion, artichoke hearts, and edamame.   Mix well. 
3. Add the garlic, basil and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard blade.  Pulse several times. Add shallot through vinegar, and pulse until fully combined.
4. With the motor running, pour the olive oil in and continue to blend until a thick dressing forms.  Be sure olive oil is fully incorporated.
5. Add the chicken and the tortellini to the bowl and mix.  Add the dressing mixture and stir until everything is coated.
6. Sprinkle with chopped herbs just before serving.  

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Notes

The salad can be served immediately at room temperature or stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.  

Updated.  Originally published August 2015.