Pesto Tortellini is a delicious vegetarian dinner ready in under 30 minutes! Cheese tortellini tossed with pesto and sun dried tomatoes.
When you are short on time having a recipe in your cooking arsenal that can be ready in under 30 minutes is a saving grace. Maybe you’re tired from a busy day at work. Or maybe you’ve got kiddos to run around to here, there and every where. Or just maybe, you really don’t want to be in the kitchen all night cooking. That is where dishes like this Pesto Tortellini come into play.
This delicious pesto pasta dish can be on your table in the time it takes to boil the pasta. In fact, aside from boiling the pasta there is really no other cooking involved. Weeknight dinners don’t get any easier.
Let’s talk about what you need to make it:
Pesto Tortellini Ingredients:
TORTELLINI: I like to use the refrigerated cheese tortellini in this recipe. Frozen will work as well but it might take just a few minutes longer to cook.
PESTO: You can use Homemade Basil Pesto or your favorite store bought variety for this recipe. If you use pre-made pesto make sure that you give it a chance to come to room temperature before using.
SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: These tomato flavor bombs are the perfect addition to this pasta. Get the kind packed in oil so that you can drizzle a little of the oil on top of of the pasta as well for even more tomato flavor.
ROMANO OR PARMESAN CHEESE: Whenever I am making pasta, I prefer to use freshly grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese over the top. Canned Parmesan has it’s place like with these Garlic Parmesan Ranch Pretzels, just not on pasta.
Step by Step Photos and Instructions:
You guys! This Pesto Tortellini is SO easy to make! It is the perfect thing to make for dinner on a busy weeknight. You boil the pasta, mix it with the pesto and sun dried tomatoes and BAM dinner is ready.
Boil pasta according to package directions. 
Drain but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. 
Put tortellini in a bowl and add pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes. 
Toss to coat. If pasta seems dry, add 1 tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time until desired consistency.
STEP #1: Boil the pasta according to package directions.
STEP #2: Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta well.
STEP #3: Place hot pasta in a bowl and toss with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Toss to coat. If pasta seems too dry, add the reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and serve immediately.
Storage and Leftovers:
One of the great things about this Pesto Tortellini is that it is also great as a cold tortellini salad. If you have any leftovers you can serve them that way. Reheating pesto can mess with the flavor a bit but a quick reheat should be fine.
You guys, my entire family loved this. My oldest kiddo even went back for seconds and he rarely does that. Your family will love it too, I’m sure!
Tortellini pasta is one of my favorites to turn to on busy nights. If you want more easy weeknight tortellini recipes, check these out:
Sausage and Tortellini Soup is a great way to warm up on a cold day.
This Creamy Cajun Tortellini is creamy, a bit spicy and full of flavor!
Tortellini Puttanesca tosses cheese tortellini in a classic Puttanesca sauce.
Love Pesto? Me too! Here are some of my favorite pesto recipes:
Creamy Pesto Dressing is an Old Spaghetti Factory Copycat and one of my family’s favorite dressings.
Want to take your grilled cheese to the next level? This Pesto Grilled Cheese is it.
If you want more Pesto pasta, you’ve got to try this Shrimp Pesto Pasta. It’s creamy and delicious!
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2009. Updated in 2023 with new photos, a slightly modified recipe and nutrition information.
Servings
Ingredients
- 20 ounces cheese tortellini pasta
- 1/2 cup prepared pesto (at room temperature )
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil (rough chopped )
- Freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water. Transfer to serving bowl.
Mix pesto with tortellini, sun dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon oil from sun dried tomatoes. Toss to coat pasta. If pasta seems dry add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches desired consitency. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with cheese.
Hi Eileen! My only concern would be “reheating” the pesto as sometimes pesto doesn’t heat that well. I do think it would make a great cold salad though!
Do you think I can make this the day before, refrigerate, heat up the next day and serve? Trying to save time the day of the party! Thanks!
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planning on trying this with a homemade cannabis-infused pistachio pesto sauce and bacon in addition to the sun dried tomatoes.
[…] Cheese Tortellini with Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes from Life Ambrosia […]
I’ve already made this dish 3 times within the past two weeks. My husband and I love it! I will never look at store-bought pesto the same. Great hit for Valentines Day and I love the vegetarian options, please keep them coming! Thanks!
Simple but delicious flavor of pasta.
You’re welcome fun and fearless! I am glad that you enjoyed it. I bet it was delicious with the substitution of cherry tomatoes.
I made this delicious and easy recipe on Sunday night. I substituted the sun dried tomatoes with fresh cherry tomatoes that I purchased that day at a farm stand. Even with halving the cherry tomatoes, this ended up being so easy in prep and the fresh pesto smelled and looked amazing! I blogged about it and linked the recipe to your site (http://funandfearlessinbeantown.blogspot.com/2009/08/scenes-from-sundays-dinner-tomatoes.html). Thanks again for sharing!
On the table in 10 minutes? Works for me. And I have everything in the fridge but the pasta which would be easy to pick up after work. Yahoo!
What a great combination of flavours for a pasta!
[…] Recipe for Cheese Tortellini with Pesto and Sun Dried Tomatoes at […]
Hmmm, might be I shall try to use coarsely ground cashews for pine nuts then.
Yes, colors in the pic are in good harmony.
I love these simple recipes! I’m lazy so I’d probably just use the premade pesto sitting right next to the tortellini! :)
pasta salads are a favorite of mine simply because there are so many different ways of making them. I love all of the colors in the photo as well. Your husband has a great eye for food!
Hum, I love this dish, whenever I make I always make extra and have it later cold (or room temp) as a salad. Nice photo!
Basil & sun dried tomatoes? can I come over? these 2 makes every single thing taste like a dream.. lovely picture there.