Chicken and Tortellini Salad

This request came from my babysitter. Not Jack’s babysitter, my babysitter. Tara used to babysit me and my rotten sisters. I am so sure we were rotten. Tara, were we rotten?

Tara was looking for a tortellini salad that she can send with her husband for his lunch while he works. I hope this will do the job!



1 rotisserie chicken, shredded and picked free of bones and skin (about 4 cups of chicken)
1 9 oz package Buitoni fresh cheese tortellini
½ red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 8 oz package white mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
A few handfuls fresh baby spinach
Kosher salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh or prepared pesto
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ - ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Let cool.

In a large bowl combine, chicken, red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine pesto and white wine vinegar. Whisk in olive oil, until a thin consistency is achieved.

Add the tortellini to the chicken mixture. Stir well to combine. Add pesto vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Yields 6 servings.

Rookie’s Notes: Do not add the spinach until right before serving or it will get all mushy. So Tara, when you send this off with your husband when he goes to work, put the spinach in a separate baggy and then he can add it.

Mushrooms??? Did I put mushrooms in this? I did, much to my dismay. Anyone who consistently reads this blog knows I don’t like mushrooms and cheese. Yes, a total travesty. But to be considerate to the mushrooms lovers out there, I added mushrooms to this recipe. I am kind, aren’t I?