Caprese Pesto Tortellini Salad
Caprese Pesto Tortellini Salad – super green tortellini salad loaded with hearty green, sun dried tomatoes, tortellini, hemp hearts and freshly made nut free spinach pesto!
Do you dread the idea of salad, especially being a vegetarian?? I used to dread it all the times because I do not really like boring bland salad with not much substance or nutrients in it. Then I would get hungry again after eating not so well made salad. That is the reason I like to play around with different salad ideas at home. It is not only cost efficient but also you can control over what you add in your salad!
For example this, Caprese Pesto Tortellini Salad has all the goodies, so filling and great for meal prep! I mean what else do you want out of making good salad?!?! This salad is also one of those that does not require lot of chopping. Four major ingredients are tortellini, arugula, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese balls. They are all coated with freshly made nut free pesto. Tell me if that does not sound easy peasy to you!
The pesto I use for this recipe is super simply to make with lots of spinach and basil. It is nut free and very kid friendly as well. This is a perfect summer time salad that you can make ahead. It is also very forgiving recipe. You can use any type of tortellini or pasta in general. Or sub pasta/tortellini with choice of boiled beans. If you are not a fan of wild baby arugula, simply add any of your preferred greens. You can also use fresh cherry tomatoes instead of sun dried tomatoes. Any way you make this salad, I guarantee that you will like it!
If you like eating healthy, filling, delicious salads like this one, I suggest you check out some of my other salad recipes linked here. If you end up making this Caprese Pesto Tortellini Salad or any of my salads and like it, please leave me a feedback on comments below. Or reach out to me on Instagram @myvegetarianroots. I would love to hear from you!
Happy & Healthy Eating!!
Caprese Pesto Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz Trader Joes Spinach Tortellini about 2 cups, you can use any type of tortellini or choice or psata
- 3.5 oz Wild Baby Arugula or regular baby arugula, about 2.5-3 cups
- 2 tbsp Hempseeds/Hemp Hearts
- 1 cup Chopped Sun dried Tomatoes
- 6 oz Galbani Fresh Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Balls without the oil/marinade liquid, use more cheese balls if you like!
Spinach Pesto
- 1 oz Fresh Basil about tightly packed ½ cup
- 2 oz Fresh Baby Spinach about tightly packed 1 cup
- 2 mediam Garlic Clove or 1 extra large
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano preferred freshly grated
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Cold Water
- 1 tbsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice juice of ¼ large lemon
Other
- Balsamic Glaze I like, Nonna Pias Nonna Pia'S Classic Balsamic Glaze
Instructions
- Boil tortellini (or choice of pasta) as instructed on package. Leave it al dente. Once boiled, drain it and quickly rinse with cold water. Let it drain completely and come to room temperature.
- While tortellini is cooling down, let's make pesto! Blend all the ingredients listed under "Spinach Pesto" to smooth consistency.
- Place cooled down boiled/drained tortellini, chopped sun dried tomatoes, baby wild arugula, Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Balls (without oil/marinade) and hempseeds in a big wide bowl.
- Pour pesto over the salad mix. Coat everything well with the pesto. Refrigerate it for an hour or so if you like it cold.
- Serve it with drizzle of balsamic glaze and sprinkle of hempseeds!