Quick Pesto Pasta Salad
When you need a salad FAST, this quick Pesto Pasta Salad is ready to go in the time it takes to cook the pasta! This salad is full of classic Caprese flavour, with grape tomatoes, basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and tender pasta; perfect for a potluck, BBQ, or picnic!
How long does Pesto Pasta Salad take to make?
This pasta salad is so quick to make! It takes as long as it takes the pasta to cook through. About 10 minutes! Who doesn’t like that for a last-minute salad?
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Pesto Pasta Salad
Basil pesto – You need about a cup of pesto. Today, I used prepared pesto from the grocery store, or you can make your own. Try this recipe here.
Grape tomatoes – Sweet with a slight crispness, these are the perfect tomato for this type of pasta salad, as they don’t release a ton of liquid. You can use any type of small tomato you like! A multi-coloured heirloom type grape tomato would look so pretty in this salad.
Pasta — I used radiattore, but any short cut pasta will do. Try penne, rotini, fusilli, small shells, or oriechette (ears).
Fresh Mozzarella – I used the mini mozzarella balls, as they are already bite-sized — so convenient! You can use a whole piece of fresh mozza, just cut it up into bite-size pieces first.
Fresh basil – This takes the salad up a notch! Don’t leave it out, however, if you can’t find it the dried version will do in a pinch. Or fresh parsley would be good, too.
*Mayonnaise — It seems strange to add this ingredient, but there’s a good reason! The mayo emulsifies the pesto so that it clings to every bite of pasta, tomato, and mozzarella. You can leave out the mayo, but the pesto on its own tends to slide off the salad ingredients, so you’ll have to keep tossing and stirring it while serving.
What are some variations for this Pesto Pasta Salad?
This salad is so versatile! It’s perfectly delicious with the “base” recipe, but you can have fun by customizing it to your content.
Add a protein
- Baby shrimp
- Smoked salmon
- Shredded grilled chicken
- Chopped salami
- Extra shredded cheese, such as parmesan
Add more vegetables:
- Pepperoncini
- Arugula
- Chopped kale
- Roasted red peppers
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Avocado
Use a different flavour of pesto:
- Sun-dried tomato pesto
- Roasted beet & walnut pesto
Here are some suggestions for different combinations:
- Basil pesto + Shrimp + Arugula + Avocado
- Basil pesto + Smoked salmon + Kale + Roasted red peppers
- Sun-dried tomato pesto + Salami + Pepperoncini
Let me know what combination YOU come up with!
The Pesto Pasta Salad Method
First get your pasta water boiling. Be sure to salt it well. Add your pasta, give it a good stir so it doesn’t stick, and chop up your vegetables.
Slice up the grape tomatoes and fresh basil.
When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse under cold water until the pasta is cold.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pesto and mayonnaise. Add the pasta, chopped basil, sliced tomatoes, and drained mozzarella balls. Toss to combine, and garnish with more chopped basil if desired.
The salad is ready to eat, but you can cover and refrigerate it until you need it. And the flavours will intensify if left to sit together for a few hours!
Quick Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb short cut pasta I used radiattore
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 cup prepared or homemade pesto
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise See note
- 1 container mini mozzarella balls drained
- Handful of fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large stock pot, add pasta, and stir for 30 seconds to prevent sticking.
- While the pasta is cooking, slice the tomatoes and basil, and drain the mozzarella balls.
- When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cold to the touch.
- In a large salad bowl, add pesto and mayonnaise, and whisk until smooth.
- Add pasta, tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella balls. Toss until every bite is completely coated in the pesto sauce. Garnish with more chopped basil.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until needed; up to 2 days.
Notes
