Pesto Pasta Salad
from kristineskitchenblog.com
This Pesto Pasta Salad is easy to make with homemade or store-bought pesto sauce. The recipe below includes how to make my favorite basil pesto. This pasta salad makes a great side dish at a BBQ or potluck. We also love it for dinner, served with grilled or baked chicken for protein.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Servings: 8 -10 servings
Calories: 432kcal
For the Pasta Salad:
- 12 ounces short pasta shapes such as fusilli, cavatappi, farfalle, penne or campanelle
- 1 cup pesto sauce see recipe below or use store-bought
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper chopped
- 1 English cucumber chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- 14 ounce can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
- black pepper to taste
For the Pesto Sauce:
- 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta well and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
If making homemade pesto sauce, place all pesto ingredients except olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Stir the pesto sauce into the cooled pasta until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Add the bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and artichoke hearts to the bowl and stir to combine. Season with pepper, to taste. If the pasta salad seems dry, drizzle on a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and stir to incorporate.
Pasta salad can be served immediately, but is best if chilled for at least 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Store pesto pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. If it dries out over time, stir in a little extra olive oil.
Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 378mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1671IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg
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