This pesto pasta salad is bursting with juicy tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and is all tossed in a flavorful homemade pesto. It’s the perfect quick and tasty side dish for all your summer cookouts and gatherings!
I can’t believe it’s officially summer and pasta salad is one of my favorite seasonal side dishes! It’s quick to throw together, you can use ingredients you have on hand, and it can be made in advance. This pesto pasta salad tastes like summer in a bowl.
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What’s Pesto?
Traditional pesto is a mixture of crushed basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and olive oil. The word pesto is the past tense version of the Italian word ‘pestare,’ which means to crush. Most Italians still use a mortar and pestle to crush the ingredients into a sauce.
Homemade pesto is easy to make. If you don’t have basil, try experimenting by substituting it with other herbs or leafy greens such as spinach, radish leaves, carrot top leaves, kale, parsley and more. I use pesto on everything to include eggs, as a spread on sandwiches, in pizza, and so much more!
Never made pesto? Try my Basil Pesto recipe!
Ingredients To Make Pesto Pasta Salad
This pesto pasta salad uses fresh ingredients to create a delicious dish that’s bursting with summer flavors. Here’s what you need:
- Pasta- Any variety you choose will work. For pasta salad I like to choose smaller shapes that will absorb the sauce. Good examples include: farfalle or bowties, wagon wheels, rotini, penne, cavatappi, and more.
- Pesto- I use my basic pesto recipe, which is in my fridge all summer long. Store-bought will also work. I prefer the refrigerated pesto over the shelf-stable as it tastes fresher.
- Tomatoes- cherry or grape tomatoes are easiest, but any variety will work. In the summer, when tomatoes are ripe, this dish tastes even better!
- Mozzarella- I use mozzarella balls, but you can also buy a large mozzarella and cut it into bite sized pieces.
- Red onion- diced very small to add a little bite. If you don’t like onions, you can omit.
- Parmesan cheese- pasta is always tastier with a little extra parmesan cheese!
- Fresh Basil- to garnish (and to make homemade pesto if you choose to do so)
Additional Items You Can Add
This pesto pasta salad is simple and great as is, but consider these additional ingredients for a heartier meal:
- If you feel like adding more veggies: sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, peas, asparagus, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, olives, and more
- Add some crunch with toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
- You can also add a boost of protein by adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or beans
This pesto pasta salad comes together in under 25 minutes so it’s a great last-minute side to throw together. It can be served at room temperature or cold. It’s also perfect for lunch and leftovers all week. This pesto pasta salad is sure to become your go-to recipe for all your summer entertaining.
Need other summer meal ideas? Check out some of my favorites below.
- Greek Orzo Pasta Salad
- Grilled Zucchini Corn Salad
- Peaches And Cream Popsicles
- Watermelon Arugula & Feta Salad
- Sweet Potato Salad (no mayo!)
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta farfalle, rotini, penne, cavatappi
- 2 Tablespoons pasta cooking water
- ¾ cup homemade or store-bought pesto* see notes
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup mozzarella balls sliced in half or quartered
- ¼ cup red onion diced small
- 8-12 fresh basil leaves sliced thin
- Ground black pepper and salt to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste and garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions to al dente. When the pasta is almost done cooking, remove 2 tablespoons of cooking water and place in a small dish. Once cooked, drain and shake out excess water.
- Place pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the pesto, ¼ cup at a time, in addition to the reserved pasta cooking water, and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust amount of pesto to your liking. Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature, about 8-10 minutes.
- Once cool, fold in the tomatoes, mozzarella, and red onion and stir well. Add the fresh basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature or cold with parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts
** Refer to my pesto recipe if you want to make a fresh batch. If using store-bought I recommend choosing the refrigerated pesto over the shelf-stable as it tastes more fresh. When adding the pesto start with less and you can always add more to your liking. The reserved pasta water helps the pesto spread more easily onto the pasta. Let the pasta cool to room temperature before adding the cheese and tomato so they don’t melt. For this pasta salad I suggest small shaped pasta. Any shape that has plenty of surface area and grooves for capturing the pesto sauce is usually best. If you feel like adding more veggies: sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, peas, asparagus, roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini, olives, and more You can also add a boost of protein by adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or beans
What’s your favorite summer dish you can quickly throw together last-minute? Share in the comments below. I love to try out your recommendations, and maybe other readers will love your ideas, too! Also, be sure to stay in touch and follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest
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