A flavor packed Pesto Pasta Salad with tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, mozzarella and toasted pine nuts. This delectable salad is the perfect summer salad for grilled chicken, fish, or steak. I love to make this with my homemade pesto sauce but for speed and ease store bought will work as well.
We are always up for a good pasta salad especially during the hot summer months when a nice cool pasta salad is always appreciated. This pasta salad. Italian Tortellini Pasta Salad, Tuna Pasta Salad, and Taco Pasta Salad are just a few of our favorites.
How to make Pesto Pasta Salad
Start by cooking your pasta slightly al dente and drain well. Then in a large bowl combine the pasta, tomatoes, red onions, mozzarella balls, cucumbers, and pesto sauce. Stir gently to combine. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes stirring frequently. Finally sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on the top of the pasta salad.
Recipe notes and helpful tips
- Cook the pasta slightly al dente. All dente is where the pasta is a little chewy and a little firm. This is always the best way to cook pasta for pasta salad.
- Fresh homemade pesto sauce is so flavorful. If you have the time and energy it is well worth the effort.
- Mozzarella balls are available in the fresh cheese case at most grocery stores. You can substitute cubes or even shredded mozzarella if that is all that is available.
- I like to use English cucumbers in this salad but garden cucumbers will work too.
- Use any kind of sun-ripened tomatoes including grape, cherry, or any kind of garden or hot house tomato. Just chop in bite size pieces to complement the salad.
What pasta is best for Pesto Pasta Salad
I like to use fusilli pasta but other good choices are farfalle, penne, rotini, and corkscrew. Just make sure to cook it slightly al dente and to drain it very well.
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Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces fusilli pasta
- 1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 1/2 cups sliced English cucumber
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls
- 1/3 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup fresh pesto sauce or store bought
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions (slightly al dente) and drain well.
- In a large bowl combine the pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella balls, red onion, and pesto sauce. Stir gently to combine.
- Add the pine nuts to a dry skillet over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown stirring very frequently. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on the top of the pasta salad.
Notes
- Cook the pasta slightly al dente. All dente is where the pasta is a little chewy and a little firm. This is always the best way to cook pasta for pasta salad.
- Fresh homemade pesto sauce is so flavorful. If you have the time and energy it is well worth the effort.
- Mozzarella balls are available in the fresh cheese case at most grocery stores. You can substitute cubes or even shredded mozzarella if that is all that is available.
- I like to use English cucumbers in this salad but garden cucumbers will work too.
- Use any kind of sun-ripened tomatoes including grape, cherry, or any kind of garden or hot house tomato. Just chop in bite size pieces to complement the salad.
Nutrition
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Ifeoluwa
Such a beautiful presentation and tasty! I can’t wait to try this recipe
Nilakshi
The dish looks delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I will try to make the dish this weekend for my family.