Pesto Chicken & Tortellini Salad
This is going to be my go-to dinner for spring and it’s a good one! Roasted pesto chicken combined with tortellini, fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes and lots of fresh basil are such a yummy flavor combination and it’s topped with not one, but two cheeses…mozzarella pearls and Pecorino Romano. A generous drizzle of olive oil and delicious balsamic glaze top off this easy and delicious main dish salad! Keep scrolling for the recipe!
When I come up with a recipe like this, I usually just throw in the ingredients without measuring and so it went for this salad. I love love love fresh basil, so I used a lot of fresh basil. Make this your own and add more tomatoes or cheese or change the Romano to Parmesan. The chicken makes the dish so be sure to roast it with the pesto.
The first time I made this dish, I used croutons on top and the crunch was nice but they were soggy when we ate the leftovers so I left them out this time. A really nice, crunchy loaf of bread would be delicious instead!
Pesto Chicken & Tortellini Salad
Ingredients
- 20 ounces spinach and cheese tortellini (or your choice)
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 container pesto (or homemade)
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 12 ounces mozzarella pearls
- Generous handful of fresh spinach
- Roughly chopped fresh basil (about 1 cup)
- Olive oil to cook chicken and to drizzle over salad
- Balsamic glaze (I used Nonna Pias)
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (or Parmesan)
- Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron skillet and add a generous drizzle of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Sear on both sides and tope each chicken breast with a generous tablespoon of pesto.
- Place chicken in a 400 degree oven to cook for 12 to 15 minutes longer...depending on the size of your chicken breasts.
- Slice chicken into bite sized pieces
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions, drain and add to a large bowl. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over and toss to keep it from getting stuck together.
- Assemble the salad - add chicken, spinach, basil, mozzarella pearls, and cherry tomatoes to the tortellini. Season with salt and pepper. Add a drizzle more olive oil and a generous drizzle of balsamic glaze. Top with a little more grated cheese, serve and enjoy!
Tomorrow is my daughter's birthday and i’m making a homemade Tiramisu for dessert! Hopefully I’ll be able to get that recipe up for you sometime soon because it’s so easy to make and the presentation is over the top!
Happy Sunday and thanks so much for reading!