This Spring Pesto Tortellini is a dish you need to put on repeat this spring! It’s flavorful, filling and loaded with veggies!
Sometimes I think we have the best little eater ever. Our toddler (2 1/2) will eat *just* about anything we give him. He devours it. There are a few things he just doesn’t like, for example: watermelon, carrots and mashed potatoes. Pesto though, is like a magic green sauce that makes everything taste 100x more delicious to him. So whenever I’m struggling to come up with something to make for dinner, we always blend up some homemade pesto.
During the summer when our plants go wild, we eat pesto a few times a week. Sometimes we get adventurous and use it as a sauce on pizza or roll it up in stuffed chicken, but usually we keep it simple and do linguine with a big side of zucchini. This spring I thought I’d mix things up and swap out the noodles for tortellini (because who doesn’t like more cheese??) and toss in seasonal veggies and chicken. This one-pot meal was a huge hit!
There wasn’t a single thing he picked out, he practically licked his plate clean. No matter how good of an eater he is, seeing that always makes me feel good!! I used our favorite pesto recipe and just adding a handful of spinach to it. It helps keep it nice and green, plus it adds all sorts of extra vitamins and nutrients to it. The more the merrier when it comes to kids (and adults), right?
If you’re looking for a meal packed with veggies and protein, I’d definitely recommend giving this spring pesto tortellini a try! It’s absolutely delicious!
Spring Pesto Tortellini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 batch fresh pesto - try our life made simple bakes recipe
- 1 bunch asparagus - ends trimmed and stalks cut into thirds
- 1 cup frozen green peas - thawed
- 12 oz cheese tortellini
- 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
- 6 oz crimini mushrooms - stems removed and sliced
- 1 large chicken breast - cut into bite-size pieces and seasoned with salt, pepper and Italian herbs
- 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot 2/3 full of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and peas, cook for 2 minutes, then add the tortellini and cook according to the package's directions. Rinse with cold water and drain; set aside.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Remove from the pan; set aside. Pour the remaining olive oil into the skillet and brown the chicken until cooked throughout. Toss in the cooked asparagus, peas and tortellini, saute for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms along with the pesto. Stir to coat evenly. Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
NOTES
-Feel free to use whatever type of tortellini you'd like!
-Cook time includes the time it takes for the water to boil 🙂
Mmmm..this looks creamy & so, so good! I love pesto!
We love pesto and this recipe did not disappoint! SO GOOD! it was so simple to make too!
This was great! I will definitely make it again!
hey girl this looks so yummy!
Thanks Shawnna!