18ouncesrefrigerated cheese tortellini or 9 oz. dried cheese tortellini
½cuppesto
¼cupmayonnaise
2cupscooked chicken, shredded or chopped(about 8 ounces)
2tablespoonstoasted pine nutsoptional, for garnish
Shredded parmesan cheeseoptional, for garnish
Instructions
If garnishing with pine nuts, toast pine nuts in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Watch carefully, as pine nuts burn quickly! Stir frequently, and turn off the heat when pine nuts are golden brown.
Drain sun-dried tomatoes, then pat dry with a paper towel and cut into ½-inch chunks.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add tortellini, cooking according to package directions.
While tortellini is cooking, stir pesto and mayonnaise together in a large bowl.
Drain tortellini well, then add to bowl with pesto mayo.
Stir in tomatoes and chicken.
Garnish with pine nuts and/or shredded parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
Cooking Tortellini: Careful to not overcook your tortellini—pay attention to the package instructions, and drain immediately when they are done. Overcooked tortellini quickly becomes bloated and soggy. Make-Ahead: You can make this dish a day or two ahead of serving. Toss it together and keep it refrigerated. You can serve it cold, at room temperature, or warm. If the pasta sauce dries out a bit, you can toss it with a little more pesto before serving. Or combine a tablespoon of pesto with mayonnaise and stir that in. Make Your Own Pesto: If you have some extra time, this recipe is fantastic with a homemade pesto. For a recipe, try my Simple Lemon Basil Pesto.