This fresh and light Pesto Pasta Salad is quick to make but big on flavor!
With just a handful of ingredients – there are only 5 – this is the perfect year-round side dish for any occasion!
This deliciously easy salad will become your new go-to. It’s perfect for a quick picnic or to take to a BBQ. The fresh taste of basil is like a taste of summer!
Jump to RecipeIn the summertime, my garden is always overflowing with fresh basil, so I’m constantly making fresh Homemade Pesto Sauce. It’s a great herby additional to almost anything and great to have on hand. Make your own, or grab a quality fresh-made pesto at any market, and dinner is instantly better!
Ingredients needed:
- Pasta – We used orecchiette pasta. The name comes from the shape, which resembles little ears, and the advantage is that all the pesto sauce tucks into the crevices. You could also use fusilli (corkscrew), farfalle (bowtie), conchiglioni (shells), or penne pasta
- Cherry Tomatoes – Pick a variety of colors to make this salad extra gorgeous!
- Pesto Sauce – In the summer, take advantage of the overflowing basil in the garden and make your own homemade pesto. If not, buy a high-quality fresh version in the refrigerator section of your local market
- Pearl Mozzarella – These baby balls of fresh mozzarella are the perfectly bite sized for this salad. If you can’t find the pearls just chop regular-sized mozzarella into bite-size pieces
- Pine Nuts – These seeds contain a variety of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats. These little nuggets pack a lot of flavor!
- Salt & Pepper – Optional, but recommended, to make all the flavors pop
What is Pearl Mozzarella?
Pearl Mozzarella is found in the refrigerator section. The “pearls” are cow’s milk mozzarella and sold packed in liquid that you drain off before using them. The slightly larger version is called Bocconcini. They are the perfect bite-sized cheese for this salad.
How to make easy Pesto Pasta Salad
This salad really is super simple to prepare and make with just 5-ingredients
- If using homemade pesto make it ahead of time (and store it tightly sealed)
- Prepare the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water
- Cook until just past al dente. Remember that every pasta cooks differently so check the timing as you go along. (Pasta firms up a little after cooking so that’s why you want to cook just a tad past the al dente stage)
- Pour pasta into a large bowl, drizzle with a few Tablespoons of pesto, stir, and allow the pasta to cool for about 15-minutes
- TIP: If the pasta is too warm it will melt the cheese so make sure it’s cooled off
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Toast until just lightly browned and starting to smell fragrant. Remove from the pan and let cool on a plate. See photos below for tips on the correct coloring.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half (unless they are already tiny)
- If using the larger size mozzarella slice it into bite-size pieces
- Stir the pasta and add the remaining prepared pesto sauce
- Stir to coat evenly
- Toss in the mozzarella and tomatoes and gently combine
- If serving right away add the toasted pine nuts. If serving later or refrigerating reserve the pine nuts and toss them in right before serving to ensure they have a little crunch
- Garnish with basil leaves, if desired
Toasting Pine Nuts:
Be sure to watch them carefully and just toast until lightly browned and starting to smell fragrant. Then let them cool on a paper towel.
Best types of pasta to use:
Be sure to select a pasta that will have some nooks and crannies to capture all of the delicious pesto sauce. We used orecchiette pasta because we love the shape and the fact that it really holds its shape, even when cooked just past al dente.
Here are some other favorite pasta shapes:
- Farfalle – also called bowtie
- Fusilli – a corkscrew shaped pasta
- Penne – basic tube pasta
- Conchiglioni – a fun shell shaped pasta
Because there are so few ingredients in this delicious Pesto Pasta Salad we suggest making your own Homemade Pesto Sauce. It comes together in 5-quick minutes and the flavor is so fresh and vibrant.
We used about a 1/2 cup of pesto sauce, but use more if you like more pesto flavor.
How to store Pasta Salad:
This salad tastes great at room temperature but is also delicious chilled, which makes it a perfect make-ahead dish.
Store up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If needed add a little more pesto before serving.
Perfect Pairings for Pesto Pasta Salad
This flavorful side dish pairs well with any grilled meats such as our Chili Lime Pork Tenderloin or zesty Jerk Chicken. It’s also great at a picnic with Buttermilk Fried Chicken.
We love this salad as is but you could easily sprinkle in some Parmesan cheese, or add chopped olives. Adding protein, such as grilled shrimp or sliced chicken to this salad, makes it a complete meal. We love to serve it alongside our fall-off-the-bone Oven Baked Ribs.
Looking for other versatile herb sauces?
- Chimichurri Sauce is an herb lovers dream and tastes great on steak, shrimp, and vegetables
- Gremolata is a fresh Italian herb mixture that enhances everything including pasta, veggies, soups, and seafood
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Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasta (uncooked) orecchiette, farfalle (bowtie) or fusilli
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- ½ cup pesto (plus more if needed)
- 1 cup pearl mozzarella
- 3 Tablespoons pine nuts toasted
- salt and pepper, as needed
Instructions
- In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until just past al dente. Note: Cooking time will vary based on the type of pasta you choose.
- Drain the pasta. Pour pasta into a large bowl, drizzle with a few Tablespoons of pesto, stir, and allow the pasta to cool for about 15-minutes while you prep the rest of the recipe.
- Toast the pine nuts over low heat, in a dry skillet, until they start to smell fragrant and have a little color on them, and then remove from the pan. Set aside to cool completely. This step can be done in advance.
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half.(Chop larger mozzarella into bite-size pieces if using instead of mozzarella pearls)
- Add the remaining pesto sauce and blend until very well coated.
- Gently mix in the tomatoes and mozzarella pearls. If serving immediately add the pine nuts, otherwise reserve them and add in right before serving.
- Serve at room temperature or chill for a few hours.
Notes
- If you cannot find pearl mozzarella then substitute fresh mozzarella and cut it into bite-size pieces
- If making this salad ahead of time (up to one day) reserve the pine nuts and add them just before serving
- The best Pesto is always homemade pesto so try our easy recipe!
- Choose a variety of cherry tomato colors for the most gorgeous presentation
- To easily double this recipe simply slide the serving option on the recipe card above and the amounts will adjust.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
If so, we would love to hear how it turned out. Take a picture and share it by tagging us on Instagram (@theartoffoodandwine).
Tavo
Great salad! I made it for a friend’s get-together and everyone loved it!
Dana
I love this pasta salad, and oriechetti is so great for it! Little cups of flavor 🙂 Definitely making this again.
Kelley
This was so easy to make for lunch and made lots of leftovers. Thank you!!
Liza
What a fantastic pasta salad! Love the summery pesto with the orecchiette pasta. Perfect for parties and cookouts.
Cam
This is my new favorite pasta salad! It was so flavorful and so easy to make. Perfect for summer!