Best 5 Best Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes

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Pesto pasta salad is a delicious and refreshing dish that is perfect for summer gatherings or as a light meal. With its vibrant green color and flavorful combination of pesto, pasta, vegetables, and cheese, this salad is sure to impress your taste buds. Whether you're looking for a simple recipe or one with more complex flavors, there's a pesto pasta salad recipe out there that will suit your preferences. In this article, we'll guide you through some of the best pesto pasta salad recipes, so you can find the perfect one to enjoy.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

FABULOUS PESTO PASTA SALAD



Fabulous Pesto Pasta Salad image

This chilled pasta salad is perfect as a side dish or a main course. Serve with warm garlic bread and the perfect wine!

Provided by ERILEY

Categories     Salad     100+ Pasta Salad Recipes     Farfalle Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 20

1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ cups chopped fresh basil
½ cup chopped fresh oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (4 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can minced black olives
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomatoes, green onions and olives to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate.
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool. Add pasta to the bowl of dressing, and mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 505.5 calories, Carbohydrate 50.7 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Fat 26.7 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 6.6 g, Sodium 730.6 mg, Sugar 6 g

GARDEN PESTO PASTA SALAD



Garden Pesto Pasta Salad image

My family and I live on a homestead in the Missouri Ozarks and produce much of our own food. In the summer, when the garden is bursting with fresh vegetables and it's too hot to cook, I like to use the season's veggies for pasta salads and other cool meals. -Sarah Mathews, Ava, Missouri

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 15m

Yield 10 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 cups uncooked spiral pasta (about 9 ounces)
1/2 cup prepared pesto
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well., Meanwhile, whisk together pesto, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in oil until blended., Combine vegetables and pasta. Drizzle with pesto dressing; toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until cold, about 1 hour. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 217 calories, Fat 11g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 3mg cholesterol, Sodium 339mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 6g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

PESTO PASTA SALAD



Pesto Pasta Salad image

We grow a large crop of basil each summer and make dozens of jars of pesto sauce to use in dishes such as this salad. You'll love the combination of garlic and herbs.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 18-20 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 25

1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup julienned fully cooked ham
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup julienned zucchini
1 cup cubed Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup chopped radishes
1 can (6 ounces) medium pitted ripe olives, drained and halved
1 jar (2 ounces) chopped pimientos, drained
PESTO DRESSING:
3 to 5 garlic cloves
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cups grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup whole almonds, toasted

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, combine the first 13 ingredients; set aside. For dressing, process garlic in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. Add basil, cheese, slivered almonds, salt, tarragon, pepper and sugar. Process 15-30 seconds or until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add oil until mixture is smooth. Add vinegar and process until blended. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Just before serving, add whole almonds.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 315 calories, Fat 21g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 14mg cholesterol, Sodium 402mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 11g protein.

PESTO PASTA SALAD



Pesto Pasta Salad image

Pasta Salad is classic summer dish that is perfect for all kinds of parties, BBQ's and picnics. This Pesto Salad is filled with fresh ingredients that are an amazing flavor combination.

Provided by Katie Clark

Categories     Salad

Time 20m

Number Of Ingredients 5

16 ounce package of rotini pasta
8 ounce container pesto
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, diced
3\4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cup shredded chicken (optional)

Steps:

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil
  • Cook pasta until ad dente
  • Drain pasta
  • While still hot, mix with pesto sauce
  • Let cook about 15 minutes
  • Add cherry tomatoes that have been diced and Parmesan cheese
  • Toss and chill until ready to serve

Nutrition Facts : Calories 292 calories, Carbohydrate 18 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 35 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 18 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 15 grams protein, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 329 grams sodium, Sugar 1 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams unsaturated fat

PESTO PASTA SALAD



Pesto pasta salad image

Enjoy this veggie pesto pasta salad with cucumber, peas, cherry tomatoes and basil for an easy family meal. It's great for a packed lunch or summery picnic

Provided by Lulu Grimes

Categories     Dinner, Lunch

Time 22m

Number Of Ingredients 7

400g mini pasta shapes
200ml crème fraîche
4 tbsp fresh pesto
½ cucumber , cut into small cubes
16 cherry tomatoes , cut into quarters, or halved
200g frozen peas , cooked and chilled
handful basil leaves

Steps:

  • Cook the pasta for 10 mins in salted boiling water until al dente, drain, then tip into a bowl. Stir in the crème fraîche followed by the pesto, then leave to cool.
  • When the pasta is cool, stir in the cucumber, tomatoes and peas followed by the basil leaves. Season if it needs it, and tip into a container to transport it.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 420 calories, Fat 19 grams fat, SaturatedFat 10 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 49 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 6 grams fiber, Protein 11 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium

Tips:

  • Use fresh basil for the best flavor. If you don't have fresh basil, you can use dried basil, but the flavor will be less intense.
  • Use a good quality olive oil. The olive oil is one of the main ingredients in pesto, so it's important to use a good quality oil that has a nice flavor.
  • Toast the pine nuts before adding them to the pesto. Toasting the pine nuts will bring out their flavor and make them more fragrant.
  • Don't overcook the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, so that it still has a little bit of a bite to it.
  • Add the pesto to the pasta while it's still hot. This will help the pesto to coat the pasta evenly.

Conclusion:

Pesto pasta salad is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a summer picnic or potluck. It's also a great way to use up leftover pasta and vegetables. With a few simple ingredients, you can make a pesto pasta salad that is sure to please everyone at your table.

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