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This pesto pasta salad is the perfect easy side dish for summer! Made with basil pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella, it’s full of flavor and ready in no time. Great for BBQs, potlucks, or a light lunch, this quick and delicious pasta salad is always a crowd favorite.
During the summer pasta salads are pretty much my go-to for any get together or potluck I am going to. They are great for a crowd and people go crazy for them. I always love playing with the flavors and mixing things up.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Tortellini Pasta Salad and Dill Pickle Pasta Salad are fun twists as well.
What makes this recipe special is how simple it is. You can use a shortcut with store bought pesto or you can make your own! Spinach Pesto and Arugula Pesto are good alternatives.
It’s versatile enough to serve alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or even enjoy on its own for a satisfying lunch. Plus, it holds up well in the fridge, making it a great make-ahead option for busy weeks or entertaining.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Dried Pasta – really any shape will work great. You want to use a shorter cut like Rotini or Penne or Bowtie pasta.
- Grape Tomatoes
- Mozzarella Pearls
- Pine Nuts – these are optional, but they add some great texture to the salad
- Pesto – Prepared store bought pesto works great, but you can definitely use your favorite homemade pesto as well.
- Mayo – Just a little helps the pesto really coat the pasta and make creamy dressing.
- Basil – Just a little basil as a garnish is a great option
How To Make Pesto Pasta Salad
- Cook Pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water to chill the pasta.
- Make Dressing. Mix pesto and mayo together until creamy.
- Toss Together. In a large bowl mix together cooked pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella and pesto dressing. Mix together until everything is well coated. Add pine nuts and fresh basil if desired.
- Serve. Store in the fridge to chill until ready to use.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use whatever your favorite pesto is! You can use a store bought pesto or a homemade pesto, whichever you have and prefer.
- Add veggies! You can definitely bulk up this salad by adding more veggies. Sliced Zucchini, Spinach, Chickpeas, Green Peas or Artichoke Hearts would be really great additions.
- You want to use the mayo to make the Pesto dressing creamy. If you don’t like mayo you could use sour cream or Greek yogurt. But you need a little something thick and creamy to help the pesto coat the noodles and not separate.
- Pesto pasta salad is great to make ahead. Read the notes below for the best results.
Make Ahead
Pasta Salads are great to make ahead. For the best results, I like to only toss with about half of the dressing, then cover and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then when it is ready to serve toss with the remaining dressing.
You can store leftovers in the fridge for about 4 days. The pasta will soak up some of the dressing, so you can add a little more if desired.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 10 oz dried pasta
- 3/4 cup pesto
- 3 Tablespoons mayo
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz Mozzarella pearls
- 3 Tablespoons pine nuts, optional
- fresh basil, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water to chill the pasta.10 oz dried pasta
- Meanwhile, mix together pesto and mayo until creamy and well blended.3/4 cup pesto, 3 Tablespoons mayo
- In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, tomatoes and Mozzarella. Add about half of the pesto dressing and mix until combined. If making ahead reserve the rest of the dressing to add just before serving. If serving immediately use all of the dressing.1 cup grape tomatoes, 8 oz Mozzarella pearls
- Add pine nuts and fresh basil if desired.3 Tablespoons pine nuts, fresh basil
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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