1. Cook the tortellini: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the refrigerated cheese tortellini and cook according to package directions, usually 2-3 minutes for fresh tortellini, until al dente. They should be tender but still have a slight bite.

2. Drain and cool the tortellini: Once cooked, drain the tortellini thoroughly in a colander. Rinse them briefly under cold water to stop the cooking process and prevent them from sticking together. This also helps cool them down for the salad.

3. Prepare the chicken: While the tortellini cooks, ensure your chicken is ready. If you’re using pre-cooked chicken, shred or dice it into bite-sized pieces. If cooking fresh chicken, season and cook it, then shred or dice.

4. Chop the vegetables: Halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the black olives, and finely dice the red onion. These vibrant additions will add color, texture, and flavor to your salad.

5. Combine ingredients in a large bowl: In a spacious mixing bowl, gently combine the cooled tortellini, shredded or diced chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, and diced red onion.

6. Add the pesto and olive oil: Pour the basil pesto and olive oil over the ingredients in the bowl. The pesto should coat everything evenly, providing that signature herbaceous flavor.

7. Season and toss: Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Gently toss all the ingredients together until everything is well combined and coated with the pesto. You want to mix thoroughly but avoid mashing the tortellini.

8. Serve immediately or chill: This salad can be served right away at room temperature, or you can chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving for a cooler, more refreshing experience.