Pesto Pasta Salad

Tomatoes, kalamata olives, and mozzarella balls are tossed with pasta in a creamy pesto dressing for a light-weight and flavor-packed picnic or potluck dish.

Taste: This pesto pasta salad is herby, garlicky, and tangy with creamy bites of mozzarella and juicy tomatoes.
Ability Stage: This beginner-friendly recipe makes use of a 3-ingredient dressing, tossed with a handful of different substances.
Finances Tip: Expend leftover veggie bits and add additional pasta to stretch the recipe additional.
Serving Strategies: Make it a major dish and add leftover chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu.

Pesto Pasta Salad ingredients in a bowl and a side bowl with salad dressing ingredients

Ingredient Ideas for Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta: Search for pasta shapes with grooves, tubes, or twists for the pesto dressing to cling to. Penne, rotini, cavatappi, and bow-tie are nice choices.
Dressing: Use store-bought pesto or make do-it-yourself basil pesto. Strive swapping out the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt for fewer energy and a lighter taste.
Veggies: Sundried tomatoes present a chewy texture whereas grape or cherry tomatoes add colour and sweetness. You too can use chopped spinach, diced cucumbers, corn kernels, peas, or diced bell peppers.
Cheese: Use bite-sized bocconcini balls or reduce a bigger ball of recent mozzarella into small cubes. Feta, gorgonzola, or blue cheese crumbles can be utilized as a substitute of mozzarella.

ingredients for pesto pasta salad in a bowl next to pesto dressing

Storing Pesto Pasta Salad

Prep pesto pasta salad no less than 2 hours however as much as two days forward of time. Toss substances collectively, cowl, and chill within the fridge till able to serve.

Maintain leftover pesto pasta salad in a coated container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Freezing isn’t beneficial.

Mediterranean Impressed Pasta Salad Recipes

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Pesto pasta salad is straightforward to make and may be served as a facet dish or major dish!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Chill Time 2 hours

Complete Time 2 hours 20 minutes

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In a big pot of salted water, cook dinner pasta al dente, and drain properly. Rinse below chilly water to cease cooking.
In a small bowl, whisk pesto, mayonnaise, and purple wine vinegar.
In a big bowl, mix the drained pasta, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and olives. Add the dressing and toss properly to mix. Style and season with extra salt and pepper if desired.
Refrigerate for no less than 2 hours earlier than serving.
Chop recent basil and sprinkle on high simply earlier than serving

Rinse the pasta in chilly water to cease the cooking course of and hold pasta agency.
Because the salad sits, it should take up dressing, so remember to gown generously.
Elective additions embrace parmesan cheese, recent spinach, capers, or a squeeze of lemon juice.

*If utilizing do-it-yourself pesto, the pasta salad and leftover pesto must be refrigerated and consumed inside 3 days.

Vitamin data supplied is an estimate and can range based mostly on cooking strategies and types of substances used.

Course Pasta, Salad, Aspect Dish

Delicacies American, Italian

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