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17) Pesto Tortellini Salad Bites

The pesto is the secret here. It coats every piece and keeps the tortellini from drying out over a few hours on a buffet table. A plain pasta salad without that oil-based coating would be a different story entirely.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 20 oz cheese tortellini
  • 1 cup prepared basil pesto
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella balls ciliegine, drained
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 20 small skewers or toothpicks

Method
 

  1. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Drain and let cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the cooled tortellini with pesto and olive oil.
  3. Add tomatoes, mozzarella, salt, and pepper. Stir gently so you don't tear the pasta.
  4. Thread 2 to 3 tortellini, 2 tomato halves, and 1 mozzarella ball onto each small skewer, repeating until the tortellini are used; the exact count will vary with the pasta brand and size.
  5. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Keep chilled or serve in small batches, and do not leave the bites at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F).