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Overhead picture of a bowl of pesto covered pasta.
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Pesto Tortellini (Homemade Pesto Sauce)

Pesto Tortellini is an easy dinner recipe that's ready in just 15 minutes! Tortellini pasta with an easy homemade pesto sauce, parmesan cheese, and fresh spinach.
Course Dinner, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pesto tortellini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 516kcal
Author Jessica - Together as Family

Ingredients

Basil Spinach Pesto

  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (from a wedge)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Tortellini

  • 1 package (20 oz) refrigerated tortellini
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • grated parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

Make The Basil Spinach Pesto

  • Into a food processor add the basil, baby spinach, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until combined well.
    Set off to the side while you prepare the tortellini.
    1 cup fresh basil leaves, 1 cup baby spinach, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons minced or chopped garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Tortellini

  • Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the tortellini according to the package directions.
    * I add about 1 teaspoon kosher salt into the boiling water.
    1 package (20 oz) refrigerated tortellini
  • When the pasta is done, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the tortellini into a colander.
  • Add the tortellini back into the pot (or a serving bowl). Add the 1/4 cup reserved pasta water and the baby spinach into the tortellini. Stir until the spinach has wilted.
    2 cups baby spinach
  • Add the basil pesto and stir gently to combine everything together.
  • Garnish with additional freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil : It's important that you use 'extra-virgin' because it has a lighter taste than classic olive oil. Classic olive oil has a very heavy taste to it, so I recommend using 'extra-virgin'. I sometimes also use the 'light tasting' of extra-virgin olive oil. 
Parmesan Cheese : For the best taste buy a wedge of parmesan cheese (from the deli area of the store) and use a cheese grater to grate it. I don't recommend using the shelf-stable parmesan cheese or the bagged shredded parmesan cheese in this recipe. 
Tortellini : Any variety of tortellini will work great. Meat, cheese, spinach, etc. You can also use frozen tortellini if wanted - however, I prefer the taste and texture of the refrigerated tortellini. 
If you don't have a food processor, use a blender (or a mini food chopper) to make the basil pesto sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 593mg | Potassium: 147mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1656IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 3mg