If you love cold summer dishes, then you’ll go crazy for this pasta salad with pesto! I assure you it’s truly amazing, an easy and tasty main dish. You can prepare the dressing while the pasta is cooking; then, as it cools, the dressing will absorb the flavors. Finally, just mix everything and enjoy. Now, head to the kitchen to savor this main dish!
I recommend some main courses to pair with this pasta salad with pesto:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients for the Pasta Salad with Pesto
- 7 oz penne rigate
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (yellow)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (red)
- 5 oz mozzarella pearls
- 4 tbsps pesto
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch fine salt
- to taste black pepper (freshly ground)
- to taste basil (fresh)
Useful Tools
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- 2 Bowls
- 2 Spoons
- Pot
- Colander
Preparation of the Pasta Salad with Pesto
First, bring water to a boil for the pasta, salt it, and when it boils, add the pasta. Drain it al dente, place it in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil, mix, and let it cool completely.
Wash and dry the yellow and red cherry tomatoes, cut them in half, and place them in an (empty) bowl. Add the drained mozzarella pearls, pesto, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and the fresh chopped basil. Mix well and let it marinate while the pasta cools.
Once the pasta is well cooled, pour the dressing over it, mix well with 2 spoons until everything is well combined. If possible, refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving!
Advice
You can also prepare this pasta salad with pesto in advance and enjoy it at the right time, perfect for eating away from home!
If you like, you can add toasted pine nuts to the dressing!
