Pesto Caesar Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
A fresh and flavorful Pesto Caesar Tortellini Pasta Salad featuring tender three-cheese tortellini, juicy grape tomatoes, sweet green peas, and a creamy blend of pesto and Caesar dressing. This easy-to-make pasta salad is perfect for quick lunches, potlucks, or light dinners, served chilled or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta Salad
- 20 oz Buitoni 3 Cheese Tortellini (1 package)
- 10 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 1½ cups frozen sweet green peas, thawed
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Dressing & Sauce
- ⅓ cup Buitoni pesto
- ⅓ cup creamy Caesar dressing
Instructions
- Cook Tortellini: Prepare the tortellini according to the package directions. Once cooked, drain thoroughly and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta for the salad.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled tortellini, halved grape tomatoes, thawed sweet green peas, shredded parmesan cheese, Buitoni pesto, and creamy Caesar dressing. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are well coated and evenly mixed.
- Serve or Chill: Serve the pasta salad immediately for a fresh taste, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours to let flavors meld. This salad is delicious served cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- You can substitute fresh peas if preferred, just blanch them lightly before adding.
- For a lighter version, use a low-fat Caesar dressing and reduced-fat parmesan cheese.
- This salad can be customized with additional veggies like cucumbers or bell peppers for extra crunch.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 24 hours for best freshness.
Keywords: pesto tortellini pasta salad, cheese tortellini salad, creamy pesto pasta salad, easy pasta salad, Italian pasta salad
