Tomatoes, kalamata olives and mozzarella balls sprinkle with pasta in a creamy pesto for a light flavoured picnic or potluck dish.
- smell: This pesto pasta salad is Herby, Garlicky and Tengy, creamy cheese and juicy tomatoes.
- Skill Level: This beginner-friendly recipe uses 3-Dye dressing and throw away with a small amount of other ingredients.
- Budget Tips: Use up the remaining vegetarian veggie pieces and add extra pasta to further stretch the recipe.
- Suggestions: Make it a main course and add leftover chicken, shrimp, salmon or tofu.
Ingredient tips for pasta salad with pesto sauce
- pasta: Look for pasta shapes with grooves, tubes, or twists to paste the pesto sauce. Penne, Rotini, Cavatappi and Bow-tie are great choices.
- dressing: Use store-bought pesto or make homemade basil pesto. Try swapping mayonnaise for regular Greek yogurt to reduce calories and lighter flavor.
- vegetable: Lightened tomatoes provide a chewy texture, while grape or cherry tomatoes add color and sweetness. You can also use chopped spinach, diced cucumber, corn kernels, peas or clove pepper.
- cheese: Use a bite-sized Bocconcini ball, or cut larger fresh mozzarella balls into small cubes. Feta, gorgonzola or blue cheese shreds can be used instead of mozzarella.
Store pasta salad with pesto sauce
Prepare the pasta salad with pesto sauce for at least 2 hours, but two days in advance. Throw the ingredients together, cover, and cool in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Place the remaining pesto pasta salad in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad recipe
Have you made this pesto pasta salad? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Pasta Salad with Pesto Sauce
The pesto pasta salad is easy to make and can be used as a side dish or as a main dish!
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In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta and drain. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
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In a small bowl, stir in the pesto, mayonnaise and red wine vinegar.
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In a large bowl, mix drained pasta, grape tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and olives together. Add seasonings and toss to combine. If needed, season with extra salt and pepper.
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Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
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Chopped fresh basil and sprinkled on top before serving
- Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the pasta firm.
- When the salad sits, it will absorb the dressing, so be sure to give it generously.
- Optional additions include Parmesan cheese, fresh spinach, capers or lemon juice squeeze.
*If using homemade pesto sauce, you should refrigerate the pasta salad and the remaining pesto sauce within 3 days.
Calories: 338 | carbohydrate: 34g | protein: 9g | Fatty: 19g | Saturated fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated fat: 5g | Monounsaturated fat: 3g | Trans fat: 0.02g | cholesterol: 9mg | sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 311mg | fiber: 3g | sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 767IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | calcium: 87mg | iron: 1mg
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary depending on the cooking method and brand of the ingredients used.
course Pasta, salad, side dishes
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