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September 8, 2015

Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini

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Lunch Box Pesto Tortellini -- Real Mom NutritionI was asked to participate in the #PastaFits campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture blogger network. I was compensated for my time. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

At our house, pasta is a regular staple, especially for weeknight meals. It’s fast, healthy, budget-friendly, and can be served in different ways on different days, whether topped with a hearty bolognese or tossed with veggies for Meatless Monday. And it makes everyone at my table happy (with two kids with two very different sets of opinions, that’s no easy feat!).

Even better, tonight’s pasta can be repurposed for tomorrow’s lunch boxes. Now that school is in full swing for us, a quick dinner that rolls right into quick lunch boxes is nothing short of a weekday miracle. Recently, I’ve been packing cheese tortellini as a lunch box main course. It’s good warm or cold and keeps bellies full and energy up all afternoon.

  Get More: All My Top Posts About Packing Lunches

You can buy fresh tortellini, but I usually stock frozen. I like to keep frozen pasta on reserve in my freezer because it comes to the rescue when sports practices and music lessons threaten to wreck family dinner. Drop it into a pot of boiling water and it cooks up in less than five minutes.

No matter what the shape of pasta, pesto is one of my favorite toppings. I think I could probably eat plain pesto by the spoonful. (Is that weird?) Basil pesto is all well and good, but I also like to use greens I tend to have on hand, like spinach and kale. It blends up into a beautiful bright green color.

Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini -- Real Mom Nutrition

A batch of this Spinach-Kale Pesto is more than enough to cover a bag of frozen tortellini (or a package of fresh). Stash any leftover pesto in the fridge and spread it on sandwiches or pizza crusts. Or sneak it by the spoonful.

Lunch Box Pesto Tortellini -- Real Mom Nutrition

Spinach-Kale Pesto Tortellini for dinner tonight and lunch boxes tomorrow. #PastaFits #ad

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Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini

Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini

Ingredients

  • 1 bag frozen cheese tortellini
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup packed fresh baby kale
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Instructions

  1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and toss with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil. Set aside.
  2. Place spinach, kale, salt, garlic, walnuts, and parmesan cheese in a blender or food processor.
  3. With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until you reach the desired consistency (you may not use all of the olive oil).
  4. Toss cooked tortellini with a heaping spoonful or two of the pesto (as much as you like).
  5. Serve warm or cold, with additional parmesan cheese.
  6. Pack up leftover pesto tortellini in airtight containers for lunch boxes. (Be sure to use a cold pack in lunch boxes.)
  7. Store leftover pesto in an airtight container and refrigerate if using within the next week. Otherwise, place in freezer.

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Cuisine: American
For more meal ideas that feature pasta, visit the Pasta Fits website, where you can search recipes by ingredient or prep time.

Get more recipes on this blog featuring pasta:

  • Peanut Butter Noodles with Carrots & Broccoli
  • Easy Homemade Macaroni & Cheese

Lunch Box Pesto Tortellini -- Real Mom Nutrition

Hi! I'm Sally, a dietitian-mom.

I believe that EVERY mom can feel successful and confident about feeding her kids, lose the stress, and finally enjoy mealtime again.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Packing Lunches, Recipes Tagged With: lunch packing, lunchbox, lunchboxes, recipes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. MJ says

    September 8, 2015 at 9:40 am

    Seems like a lot of oil. Is all that grease necessary? Is there any non-fat alternative for this recipe? I find my children require more calorie control than I can get by managing starches and sugars only. These days fats seem to be bloating the calorie count of just about everything. When did we transition from loathing fats to loving fatty ingredients?

    Reply
    • Sally says

      September 8, 2015 at 9:43 am

      MJ–Olive oil is a heart-healthy fat and is a great addition to the diet. This recipes makes five or more servings, so each person will get about one tablespoon of olive oil, which is very reasonable. That being said, you could cut down on the olive oil and sub in some chicken broth.

      Reply
  2. Regan @ The Healthy Aperture Blog says

    September 8, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    I’m with you. I could eat pesto by the spoonful, too 🙂 Love this for not only leftover lunches for kids, but mom too!!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      September 8, 2015 at 2:49 pm

      Yep! My husband has some in HIS lunch box today! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Terita @ Kid Can Eat says

    September 9, 2015 at 12:20 am

    Yum, this looks delicious! And here I was, feeling sheepish about buying two pounds of Parmesan cheese with my new Costco membership. Good timing. I think my kids will love this, but I will try the pesto over whole wheat pasta instead of the tortellini. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      September 9, 2015 at 6:57 am

      Terita–Glad you have a reason for all that cheese now! 🙂 My goal was to find whole wheat tortellini but no dice!

      Reply
  4. Maricel says

    September 9, 2015 at 1:54 am

    Can I omit the walnuts in this pesto recipe? My daughter has nut allergies. Is there a big difference in the taste without the walnuts?

    Reply
    • Sally says

      September 9, 2015 at 6:56 am

      Maricel–You can certainly omit the walnuts. I haven’t tasted it without but I’m sure it would still be good!

      Reply
      • Maricel says

        September 10, 2015 at 2:15 am

        Great! Thank you! Cant wait to try it.

        Reply
  5. Lisa says

    September 18, 2015 at 11:15 am

    Hi, looks great! Just wondering what the number of serving is for this recipe. What is the quantity on one bag of tortellini. Can this recipe feed a family of four?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      September 18, 2015 at 11:21 am

      Hi Lisa–Just depends on the quantity of tortellini you buy. Size of packages vary. The bag I usually buy holds 5 servings (though my husband eats more like 2 servings and my younger son probably less than 1 serving). But this definitely makes enough pesto to feed four. Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        September 20, 2015 at 4:15 pm

        Super thanks!. Making it tonight!

        Reply
  6. Jocelyn G says

    February 15, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    I made this last night and had it in my lunch box today. It was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  7. Joani says

    March 9, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    I really wish I could find whole wheat filled pastas!! But this looks *so* good!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      March 9, 2016 at 2:11 pm

      Joani–I’ve never found it either! 🙁 But this pesto works great on all kinds of pasta, so try it on some whole wheat bow ties or spaghetti.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Back 2 Work Lunch Ideas - Nutrition Nuptials (Bringing Lunch to Work) says:
    September 6, 2016 at 9:17 am

    […] Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini from Sally Kuzemchak of Real Mom Nutrition […]

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  2. Here are the items I WISH I'd registered for! says:
    July 11, 2017 at 9:34 am

    […] Processor: I would be nothing without my 7-cup Cuisinart, which I use to make pesto, hummus, veggie nuggets, energy bites, and other yummy things. I’ve had mine for years and […]

    Reply
  3. 34 Non Sandwich Lunchbox Ideas for Back to School | Produce for Kids says:
    August 14, 2019 at 3:26 pm

    […] Lunchbox Pesto Tortellini from Real Mom […]

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