Recipe Details
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cooking Time
- 12 mins
- Total Time
- 27 mins
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- easy
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Pesto Pasta Salad
A vibrant and flavorful pasta salad perfect for picnics, potlucks, or a quick lunch. This recipe combines your favorite pasta with fresh pesto, juicy tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and a simple lemon vinaigrette.
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Serves: 6
easy
- 1 pound pasta (rotini, penne, or farfalle work well)
- 1 cup fresh pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini), halved or quartered
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- Optional: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. This stops the cooking process and prevents the pasta from sticking together.
- 2In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to create the lemon vinaigrette.
- 3Add the cooked and cooled pasta to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat.
- 4Gently stir in the pesto, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella balls.
- 5If desired, add toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese. Toss gently to combine.
- 6Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your liking.
- 7Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. This also makes the salad more refreshing.
- 8Serve cold and enjoy!