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Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad

Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad only uses a few simple ingredients, and it tastes like summer in a bowl. You won't be able to get enough!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 10
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 2 cups small dry pasta about 8 ounces
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella in bite-sized pieces
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons pesto
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
  • Add the pasta to a medium mixing bowl. Add mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto and olive oil.
  • Add the pesto dressing to the pasta.
  • Stir everything together until it is all well-coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.

Notes

  • The fresher the ingredients used in this recipe, the better. When you only have a handful of ingredients in the recipe, it's important that they are all as good of quality as you can get.
  • To make this pasta salad vegan and dairy-free, you can omit the cheese and use a pesto that doesn't contain dairy. 
  • Rinsing the pasta in cold water helps it to stop cooking, so don’t skip that step. 
  • Add a little more pesto and olive oil to this salad on the second day to refresh the leftovers before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 10 servings | Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg

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