Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto lovers have plenty to enjoy in this pasta salad, where basil coats the corkscrews and catches against soft mozzarella. Olives add a salty bite among the tomatoes. The pine nuts are worth seeking out as you work through a cool bowlful.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Salads · Pasta salad · Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Cool after draining
Run cold water over the drained pasta so it cools before joining the cheese and other salad ingredients.
2. Use room for tossing
Put the pasta and toppings into a large bowl before adding pesto so you can coat everything evenly.
3. Toss before garnishing
Toss the pesto through the salad first, then add the extra pine nuts and parsley on top.
Get to know the ingredients
Pesto
Choose refrigerated basil pesto for the bolder fresh flavor described for this pasta salad.
Olives
Pit and halve the Kalamata olives before they join the pasta so they are ready to eat.
Mozzarella
Halve the fresh mozzarella balls so their soft pieces mix evenly among the pasta and tomatoes.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Pesto Pasta Salad
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Extra nuts and parsley
Serve the dressed pasta salad topped with the extra toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
A little more help as you go
Refrigerate airtight
Keep the pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Dice the red onion
Dice the red onion before adding it to keep its sharper bites small among the other toppings.
A few questions you might have
Can I use another short pasta?
Yes, corkscrew pasta or any other short pasta shape can be cooked for the salad.
Do I toast the pine nuts in the pasta pan?
Use pine nuts that are already toasted when you add them with the salad ingredients.
Does the mozzarella go into hot pasta?
Cool the drained pasta with cold water first, then combine it with the mozzarella and toppings.
Are the cherry tomatoes left whole?
Halve the cherry tomatoes before placing them in the large bowl with the cooled pasta.
Is there a separate dressing mixture?
The basil pesto is poured directly over the assembled pasta mixture and tossed through to coat.
Any more cooking tips?
Go for the fresh pesto in the refrigerated section, it has much better and bolder flavor than the shelf stabled jarred pesto. Some of the brands I like are Kirkland (Costco), Rana and Three Bridges. This salad will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
