Pesto Tortellini
This pesto tortellini recipe is easy to make with a handful of simple ingredients including the best homemade pesto sauce. It's a quick & light main dish or side, ready in 20 minutes (or less)!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- Salted Water
- 20 oz cheese tortellini (fresh)
- 1 pint baby tomatoes (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons pine nuts
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 cups basil
- 4-5 Tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese (divided)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- 1
Heat ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons pine nuts in a small sauté pan over medium heat until lightly browned.
- 2
Reserve 2 Tablespoons roasted pine nuts for serving.
- 3
Next put the olive oil and basil leaves into the container of a blender or food processor. Blend/process for about 60 seconds until the ingredients are combined but not totally smooth. You may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and then continue blending/processing.
- 4
Add ¼ cup pine nuts, garlic, ½ cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend until you reach the desired consistency (about 30-60 seconds).
- 5
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, pulse to combine. Then set the sauce aside.
- 6
Cook tortellini according to package instructions in salted water.
- 7
Once cooked, drain the tortellini but do not rinse.
- 8
Return the cooked tortellini to the dry pot.
- 9
Add pesto sauce to the cooked tortellini in the pot and stir until evenly distributed.
- 10
Sprinkle with remaining toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese.
- 11
Add tomatoes if desired.
- 12
Serve warm garnished with extra parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, julienned basil etc.