pesto pasta salad

This pesto pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh flavor. It's light, healthy and easy to make. Perfect for picnics and potlucks! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.

Pesto Pasta Salad

whole grain pasta (fusilli, rotini, penne or farfalle)

cherry tomatoes, halved

baby arugula or spinach

Kalamata olives

(15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)

feta

black pepper

pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)*

basil leaves

parsley leaves

lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

garlic, roughly chopped

salt

olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain and immediately rinse the pasta under cool water to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.

Meanwhile, to prepare the pesto: In a small skillet, toast the pepitas over medium heat, stirring often, until they are fragrant and making little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Pour half of the pepitas into a bowl for later (we will use them as garnish).

Pour the remaining pepitas into a food processor. Add the basil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the pepitas have broken down to create a pretty smooth sauce.

To assemble the pasta salad, pour all of the pesto over the pasta and toss until the pasta is lightly and evenly coated, adding a tiny splash of reserved pasta cooking water if necessary to thin it out. Then add the cherry tomatoes, arugula, remaining toasted pepitas, and any optional add-ins (olives, chickpeas and/or cheese).

Toss again to combine, then season to taste with pepper. If the pasta needs a little more flavor, add salt or lemon juice to taste, or if the flavors are too bold, let it rest for a few minutes, and add a little splash of olive oil if necessary to tone down the rest.

Love that pesto recipe! It's such a great addition to anything-- makes a meal just taste special. I have a great watercress recipe I use a lot-- so peppery and fresh.

We loved testing this recipe out in the Indychef kitchen, as HUGE lovers of pasta and especially for our midweek family meals we found this tasty and delicious and everyone loved it!

I made the salad, and it's great! The only issue is that the pesto turned out extraordinarily sour! I followed some advice online, and I added some stevia to it. Great dish overall though!

Congrats Kate! 
I couldn't believe you were able to survive and cook amazing food in a house that you actually didn't like! I enjoy cooking but always refuse to cook in a kitchen that I don't like (especially when there is no window for sunlight and good food pics). 
After reading your post, I realised I was just giving myself excuses and being lazy. Your stories are so inspirational! 
I've always wanted to have my own place with big windows and everything white marble. And now I know I'll cook until that day comes! 
Thanks for sharing your life with us  :)

Question- If I substitute almonds, do I still have to toast(step 2)?

Loved the pesto pasta salad.  I usually do not make or eat pasta salads because I find them bland. NOT THIS ONE.  I made the pesto per recipe but switched out the seeds for walnuts because I had them.  Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written and was rewarded with tons of flavor and textures.  Will make again!  Thanks.

We did this recipe this week- but with store bought pesto for ease. Super tasty recipe and crazy quick to prepare. Thanks!

Thanks for another great recipe- this will be added to my rotation of salad dressings and sauces. Happy New Year!

Kate, just wanted to let you know that I prepared this for a dinner we shared with good friends earlier in the week.  I had never tried pepitas, and the pesto made with them is awesome!!!  After having read all the reviews, I did opt to reduce the lemon juice to 3 tablespoons.  I did not include the optional olives or chickpeas, but did add maybe 1/8th of a cup of Go Veggie Vegan Parmesan Topping when mixing the salad together.  We all loved the salad, but the 5 star rating is especially because my husband, definitely not a vegan or vegetarian, doing the taste test to make sure it was okay to take to our friends' home without any tweaking, said it was DELICIOUS!!!!  Thanks, this will be a go-to recipe!

Besides loving this salad, this is my go-to vegan pesto recipe!  We use it for our garlic, broccoli, tomato vegan pizza.  Sometimes I sub pine nuts for the pepitas for a different flavor.  Either way, it's a top-notch recipe!

Gosh, I really wanted to love this recipe (I've LOVED everything of yours so far!) because it's packed full of a lot of individually yummy ingredients, but for me, it just didn't come together as a whole.  I'm not sure what I'd add to make it feel a bit more cohesive though. My husband suggested simplifying it by using only the pesto, pasta, and tomatoes.  Anyhow, thanks for all of the wonderful recipes!

This recipe was so easy to make and very yummy! Kate thanks so much for making it easy to eliminate meat from my diet. I use your website almost every day of the week to cook :) You go girl.

I made this yesterday for a baby shower at work. It's a delicious recipe and everybody enjoyed it!! I will have to make it for every pot luck here at work now, my supervisor said. Thanks for the recipe!

Everyone begged for this recipe at my get together! Loved it!

My kids loves your recipe for pesto pasta. So easy to make, but yummy❤❤❤

What a great recipe!!! I used my own pesto and it was still good!!!
Thanks for a delicious lunch!

Had a holiday party with gluten-free, vegan and nut-free colleagues. Made this recipe, opting for Barilla gluten-free spaghetti, and skipping the cheese. HUGE hit! Thanks!

After I've tried this recipe once, I keep craving for it. It is really good.

Let me just say: WOW. I made this for the first time a couple months back for my big family gathering on Mother’s Day. Since we always have way too much food prepared, I thought for sure I’d have some leftover to take home—I swear it didn’t last more than 10 minutes once I put it out on the counter!! My family went nuts. I’ve since made it three more times AND had to give the recipe out to all my sisters.

We’re not vegan so I do usually end up adding a little ricotta to the pesto each time for some creaminess, and of course I throw in all the goods: chickpeas, kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and some feta. This pesto pasta salad is a keeper FOR SURE.

Hi Cookie &amp; Kate.   I just started trying different ideas and came across your recipes which I found fantastic. I will be making a lot of different combinations to trial over a 12 week healthy Lifestyle challenge and will be placing ingredients and recipes in Jars.  Keep up your great work.

Tracy

This Pesto Pasta Salad is loaded with flavor and is the perfect recipe to bring to a party. I love that it&#039;s packed with veggies, and tossed with a fast &amp; easy basil vinaigrette.

Pesto Pasta Salad (in 30 minutes!)

Rotini pasta ((use brown rice

shallot ((55 grams; 1/2 cup chopped))

garlic ((6 grams))

basil leaves ((27 grams;

red pepper flakes

olive oil ((56 grams))

red wine vinegar ((34 grams))

salt ((14 grams))

cherry tomatoes ((286 grams))

red bell pepper (, chopped (113 grams))

onion

arugula ((100 grams))

(15 oz) can chickpeas (, rinsed and drained)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. (Be sure to use only half the package, if you have a 16 oz. box of pasta.)

To prepare the dressing, add the shallot, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, olive oil, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the blender. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if needed to get everything blended smoothly. (I use my narrow Vitamix to blend this, but if you have a wider blender base, you might need to add 1 extra tablespoon of oil or water to help this blend. Use as little liquid as is necessary.)

I like to chop the vegetables while I wait for the pasta to cook, to be as effecient with my time as possible. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, and arugula to the bowl as you go. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse it to cool it off, then add it to the bowl with the vegetables, along with the drained chickpeas.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, beans, and vegetables and toss well to coat. I like to season it with an additional teaspoon of salt, to make sure the flavors pop. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 15 minutes, then give it another good stir before serving.

You can serve this pasta salad at room temperature, or chilled from the fridge. Keep in mind that flavors mellow significantly when cold, so you might want to taste and adjust before serving again straight from the fridge. A squeeze of lemon juice can brighten things up, if you find the flavor isn&#039;t tangy enough, or you can extra salt to bring out the flavors again.

Pesto pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/6cNlCHkv.mp4

This Pesto Pasta Salad is loaded with flavor and is the perfect recipe to bring to a party. I love that it's packed with veggies, and tossed with a fast & easy basil vinaigrette.

Enjoy this Pesto Pasta Salad tossed with arugula, tomatoes, and fresh pesto for a picnic-perfect side dish. Vegan and easy to make gluten free, if needed.

short

Recipe Vegan Pesto

arugula

vegan mozzarella, optional

salt + pepper,

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Add the pasta to a large bowl. If using my homemade Vegan Pesto, make sure it&#039;s not too thick when you add it. Add additional water or olive oil and whisk first in a medium bowl, then add to the pasta and stir until the noodles are coated.

Fold in the halved tomatoes, arugula and vegan cheese cubes, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Right before serving, stir one more time, adding a little more olive oil or water if the mixture seems a bit dry. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Enjoy!

This easy Pesto Pasta Salad only requires 6 ingredients and a few minutes to prepare, made with pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella and any bite-size noodles. 

farfalle pasta (, whole wheat

basil pesto (, homemade

cherry tomatoes (, halved (I use half red and half yellow))

mini cucumbers (, sliced)

mozzarella cheese (,

parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Add pasta to a large bowl and stir in pesto.&nbsp;

Add tomatoes, cucumber and fresh mozzarella cubes and toss to combine. Top with parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh cracked pepper, if desired.

Pesto Pasta Salad is simple, light and a delicious crowd-pleasing side dish! Cooked pasta, roasted asparagus, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh pearl mozzarella and toasted pine nuts tossed in a homemade basil pesto.

sea salt (for pasta water)

short pasta

olive oil spray

asparagus

kosher salt

cherry tomatoes (halved)

pearl mozzarella

basil pesto

pine nuts

Preheat your oven to 500° and bring a pot of salted water to boil (I measure a small palmful of fine sea salt).

Spray a small, rimmed sheet pan with olive oil spray. Arrange trimmed asparagus on the pan, lightly spray with olive oil and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast for 6 minutes if asparagus is thin and 8 minutes if thicker or until tender. Rotate the pan halfway through roasting.

Once roasted, use tongs to transfer the asparagus to a cutting board and cut into thirds.

When the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and stir ocassionally. Cook following the package directions. After the pasta has cooked, drain into a colander and rinse with cold water.

In a large mixing bowl add the cooked pasta, roasted asparagus, pearl mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, desired amount of pest, the pine nuts and parmesan.

Toss to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Bell Peppers and Peas

DeLallo short pasta noodle (such as penne, sprialli,

peas

red bell pepper (,

green bell pepper (,

6.35 oz jar DeLallo traditional basil pesto sauce

DeLallo extra virgin olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions minus 2 minutes. Before draining, add the frozen peas to the hot water for 1 minute. Dump the pasta and peas into a colander, rinse lightly with cool water, and set aside to cool.

Add the pasta and peas to a large bowl with the bell peppers. In a small bowl, mix the basil pesto sauce and olive oil to combine. Pour over the pasta and season with the kosher salt and black pepper. Toss to coat, adding more olive oil if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Mediterranean orzo salad with pesto is a bright flavorful summer salad with fresh cucumbers, artichokes, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese in a lemon pesto mayo dressing. Perfect for a summer BBQ or picnic.

Mediterranean Orzo Pesto Salad

orzo

artichokes

cucumber,

kalamata olives, sliced

green onions

pesto

mayonnaise

lemon juice

lemon zest

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a big pinch of salt. Boil the orzo according to package instructions to about a minute past al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander with small holes (those small pieces of pasta can fall through larger holes) and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a very large bowl, add the orzo, artichokes, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, most of the green onions and most of the feta cheese (reserve a little feta and green onion for topping).

In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Add the mayo pesto sauce to the orzo mixture and gently toss until combined.

Sprinkle the remaining feta cheese and green onions on top. This pesto orzo salad can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Store leftover orzo pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This pesto pasta salad recipe is a fresh, delicious summer side dish! Make it gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free rotini pasta. Vegan.

recipe Basil Pesto (made with an additional ¼ cup olive oil

Cellentani, Cavatappi, or Fusilli pasta

pasta water

zucchini

yellow squash

sea salt

basil

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Prepare the pesto and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, or until slightly past al dente. Before draining the pasta, scoop ¾ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and toss it with a little olive oil so that it doesn’t stick together. Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and let it (and the reserved pasta water) cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl combine the pasta, zucchini, yellow squash, pesto, the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss. Season to taste. Top with the pine nuts, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve the salad at room temperature.

Recipe video above. Don&#39;t skimp on pesto, and don&#39;t be shy with olive oil. If you do, you&#39;ll end up staring at a mound of flavour-lacking, dry pesto pasta salad, thinking &quot;darn it, I should have just followed the recipe!&quot;.PS Just 2 tablespoons of mayo is the secret here. Just gives an edge of creaminess without weighing it down, plus significantly improves the quality of next-day leftovers - prevents it from drying out.TIP: Homemade pesto obviously rules here, but if you need to resort to store-bought, get it from the fridge rather than aisle. It&#39;s better.

Pesto pasta salad

salt (,

tbsp pinenuts (, toasted (sub walnuts, cashews, almonds))

(tightly packed) basil leaves

garlic (, minced)

parmesan (, finely grated)

tsp cooking/kosher salt

tsp black pepper

tbsp extra virgin olive oil ((or 50/50 grapeseed/olive oil))

mayonnaise ((S&W, else Hellman's, Note 2))

(1 heaped cup) cherry tomatoes, cut in half

220 grams/ 7 oz baby bocconcini (, drained, cut in half (Note 3))

(tightly packed) baby rocket/arugula leaves (40 grams)

basil leaves (, optional garnish)

Cook pasta - Bring 3 litres of water to the boil with the salt. Cook for the pasta packet time + 1 minute. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water well, then allow to fully cool and dry.

Pesto - Place all ingredients in a tall jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz under pretty smooth. Not a green smoothie, we still want some visible green bits! but not chunks.

Toss - Place pasta in a bowl, scrape in the pesto. Add mayonnaise then toss well. Add bocconcini and tomato, toss gently just to disperse. Add rocket/arugula and toss just to disperse.

Serve - Transfer into a serving bowl. Scatter with basil leaves, if using. Serve!

This is one of those dishes that improve overnight as the sauce has time to develop its flavor.

Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad

garlic

pine nuts ((lightly toasted))

nutritional yeast

whole wheat or gluten-free spiral pasta

tomatoes (diced (optional))

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the asparagus spears. Cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Without emptying the water from the pot, lift out the asparagus spears and place them in a colander. Rinse with cool water.

Bring the water back to a boil. Add salt, if needed, and add pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and drain and rinse the pasta with cool water. Put into a serving bowl.

Place the asparagus on a cutting board. Trim off the top 3 inches of the asparagus spears, and put the tips into the bowl with the pasta. Cut the bottoms into several pieces, and set aside to use in the pesto sauce.

Use a food processor to make the pesto: With the processor running, drop in the garlic cloves and allow them to chop. Add 2 tablespoons of the pine nuts, and pulse to chop. Add the lemon juice, basil, salt, nutritional yeast, and the asparagus pieces (not the tips!) along with 3-6 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water. (Start with 3 tbsp. water and add more as needed.) Puree until smooth.

Toss the pasta, asparagus tips, and tomatoes (if using) with the pesto, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining pine nuts. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Made this last night.  VERY dangerous--kept going back for more,  had some this morning before breakfast, craving some right now, can't wait until dinnertime.  :)

Think to minimize calories (because clearly I'll keep bingeing on it), I'll add more veggies (upping asparagus and tomatoes, wondering if red peppers and kale or spinach might be good additions?) and decrease the pasta next time.  Might also make a good sandwich spread with grilled veggies, if you decrease the water.

Thank you SO MUCH for this wonderful website.  I'm a reformed carnivore doing the Engine 2 challenge  right now, and hoping to at least continue the vegan portion of the diet going forward--your website has helped me stick to it, and will continue to.  Thank you!!!!!

A vibrant and herby, Italian style pasta salad. Made with mini bowtie pasta, sweet grape tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, peppery baby arugula, bright lemon, and plenty of fresh homemade basil pesto. It&#39;s one of the best summery pasta salads!

mini farfelle pasta ((mini bowtie))

Salt (and black pepper)

(3 oz) baby arugula

oz) grape tomatoes, (halved)

mozzarella pearls

lemon juice, (mixed with 1 tsp lemon zest)

(36 grams) pine nuts (or walnuts)

garlic cloves, (peeled and smashed)

extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta to al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Before draining pasta reserve 1/3 cup pasta water.

Drain pasta then spread out onto a lightly greased 18 by 13-inch baking sheet to cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the pesto: to a food processor add basil leaves, parmesan, pine nuts or walnuts, and garlic. Season lightly with salt then pulse until ingredients are minced. With food processor running slowly pour olive oil in through the feed tube and blend until nearly smooth.

In a large bowl toss together drained pasta, arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, lemon juice and zest, and pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add parmesan cheese to taste.

Thin with reserved pasta water as needed. Store in fridge in an airtight container up to 1 day.

This Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad recipe is the packed with juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and bold salami. It’s a favorite for potlucks, picnics, easy weeknight dinners, and make ahead lunches.

Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad

cheese tortellini

mozzarella pearls (drained)

red onion

Salami Cubes

Pine Nuts (Optional)

Note: This recipe size is perfect for picnics or gatherings. For a side dish, divide the recipe ingredient quantities by half, which makes about 4 good sized servings.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add 20 ounce cheese tortellini and cook tortellini according to package instructions. Do not overcook! Rinse immediately under cold water and set aside in a large mixing bowl or serving dish. It doesn&#39;t have to be completely cold to serve.

To the bowl, stir in in 1 cup pesto, 1.5 cups  cherry tomatoes, 8 ounces mozzarella pearls, 1/4 cup diced red onion1 cup Salami Cubes. Toss well to coat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Pine Nuts, if desired. Taste test and add pepper and salt if you like.

Serve immediately or cover and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Welcome to the comment section! Here you can leave me your feedback with a star rating. Readers, like yourself, can find comments helpful. This recipe was just requested yet again at a family lunch over the summer weekend. It's easy, fresh and delicious!

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Top Tags

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