A delicious full of flavor dish, this Pesto Pasta Salad is the perfect addition to an evening meal, picnics, gatherings and more.
I love any and all things that are related to pesto. I know I can’t be the only one, as it is just such a delicious flavor.
This Pesto Pasta Salad is a really fun side dish to make, as it has lots of different components and a homemade dressing that is to die for.
We love this alongside dinner, bringing it to parties, picnics, and more. It is just an overall tasty salad that you won’t want to pass up.
This also serves a crowd, so that is fun. But you can also double it to serve an even larger crowd!
When it comes to this Pesto Pasta Salad, you really can’t go wrong. With fun and tasty ingredients, its a recipe you don’t want to pass up.
Some of our other favorite salad recipes we have on our site include: Macaroni Salad, Greek Pasta Salad and Tuna Pasta Salad.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- There is a lot of depth of flavor to this and it all works so well.
- It comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Makes a large serving but can be double to serve more.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):
Rotini pasta
Cherry tomatoes
Black olives
Cucumber
Mini mozzarella balls
Parmesan cheese
Chopped basil, plus more for garnish
Basil pesto
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Garlic powder
Oregano
Pepper
HOW TO MAKE PESTO PASTA SALAD, STEP BY STEP:
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain the pasta, rinse in cold water and drain really well.
- Make the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the well-drained pasta into a large bowl followed by the tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, and basil.
- Toss to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss again.
- Garnish with more basil and parmesan, if desired.
- Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
CAN I ADD MEAT TO THIS SALAD?
Yes, if you want to add a little protein we recommend adding chicken. That is what would go best with this.
We haven’t tried it with any other meats so I am not sure how it would taste.
WHAT ADDITIONS CAN I ADD?
You can customize this even more by adding some more additions to the salad. Some that we recommend include:
- Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Peas
- Bell Peppers
- Spinach
- Arugula
- Corn
CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes you can. Make ahead by combining the pasta and mix ins together and the dressing separately.
Let the dressing warm up on the counter until it can be stirred nicely. Toss with the dressing right before serving.
WHAT OTHER PASTA CAN I USE?
You can use any other smaller pasta in this Pesto Pasta Salad. Some ideas include: penne, bowtie, cavatappi, fusilli, ziti, rigatoni, etc.
HOW TO STORE:
This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days.
When ready to serve, remove to the counter to sit out for 15 minutes to soften the dressing.
Pesto and olive oil become solid in the refrigerator so this salad is much yummier at room temperature.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can add other additions to this salad, see above for ideas.
- Other pasta can be used, again see above on suggestions.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- Make sure after refrigerating to let sit out for 15 minutes so the dressing can soften.
- Chicken can be added to this if you want a meat aspect.
- This can be made ahead of time, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
When it comes to flavor, you cannot go wrong when you make this Pesto Pasta Salad. So so good!
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried this PESTO PASTA SALAD or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup sliced olives
- ½ cup chopped cucumber
- ½ cup mini mozzarella balls cut in half
- 3 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons chopped basil plus more for garnish
Dressing:
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Do not overcook. Drain the pasta, rinse in cold water and drain really well.
- Make the dressing by whisking all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the well-drained pasta into a large bowl followed by the tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, and basil.
- Toss to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss again.
- Garnish with more basil and parmesan, if desired.
- Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can add other additions to this salad, see above for ideas.
- Other pasta can be used, again see above on suggestions.
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- Make sure after refrigerating to let sit out for 15 minutes so the dressing can soften.
- Chicken can be added to this if you want a meat aspect.
- This can be made ahead of time, see above on how to do that.
- Easily double this recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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