Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

A bowl of tortellini pasta salad with shredded chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, pesto sauce, and fresh basil leaves.

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad is a fresh, flavorful dish that’s perfect for quick dinners, meal prep lunches, or get-togethers. Tender chicken, tortellini, juicy tomatoes, and mozzarella are tossed with basil pesto that's ready in less than 30 minutes. This easy pasta salad is great served chilled or at room temperature!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword pesto tortellini pasta salad

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 270

Author Gayle Bialas

Equipment

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) package fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
1 cup pesto sauce (store-bought or homemade)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used the pre-cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken that you can find near the deli section of your grocery store)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (roughly 2 cups)
1 (8 ounce) container mozzarella pearls
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and then add tortellini to a large bowl.
Add pesto to the tortellini and gently toss to coat.
Then add the chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Toss to combine and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
See my tips and tricks for making this salad above the recipe box.

Nutrition