Made with only 5 simple ingredients, this Pesto Pasta Salad is loaded with creamy mozzarella balls, salty pesto, and fresh cherry tomatoes!
Be sure to check out all the delicious recipes to serve with pasta salad!
If there was one recipe I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be this pesto pasta salad! It's so easy to make. How can you go wrong with a recipe that is only 5 ingredients?
Like a lot of my recipes, we are getting help from the store. Buy that store bought pesto! There are so many great options out there, you don't have to make your own.
I make this pasta salad every Summer whenever we have guests over and it is always a hit. Everyone wanted the recipe, so I thought I would finally share it!
This recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser that you will come back to again and again!
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Ingredients in Pesto Pasta Salad
You only need a few simple ingredients for this pasta salad. I'm sure you already have all of them in your kitchen!
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
- Pesto. One jar of premade basil pesto. The jar is 6.7 ounces.
- Pasta. Farfalle is classic, but use your favorite shape.
- Parmesan cheese. For a salty, cheesy flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes. They add a burst of juicy flavor.
- Mozzarella pearls. You can find them in the grocery store near the fresh mozzarella. If you have fresh mozzarella, you can cut it into small pieces.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make your own pesto! If you have a garden and an abundance of basil, make your own pesto! You can also use a pesto rosso which is a sun dried tomato pesto for a little more tomato flavor.
- Add more veggies! You can add olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, cucumbers, or whatever veggies you have. Kale or spinach would be great in this pasta salad too!
- Use a different pasta! Tortellini pesto pasta salad is really popular and all you need to do is use tortellini instead of farfalle. You can also use your favorite gluten free pasta, whole wheat pasta, or your favorite pasta shape.
- Add some protein! Just like my chicken and bacon Caesar pasta salad, add some cooked chicken to your pasta salad. Cooked shrimp is a great option too.
How To Make a Pesto Pasta Salad
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add your pasta.
While the pasta cooks, add the pesto, mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, and cut cherry tomatoes into a large bowl.
Drain the pasta once it is cooked to al dente. Run cold water over the al dente pasta to stop the cooking and cool down the pasta.
Pour the pasta into the large bowl. With a large spoon, mix all the ingredients together. Allow the pasta salad to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Lynn's Tip!
If the pasta salad is a little dry, add some extra virgin olive oil to the bowl to help loosen the pesto. This will make it more of a sauce for the salad.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure the pasta is cooled completely before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. If the pasta is too hot, it will melt the mozzarella balls.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions. You want the pasta to be perfectly al dente. This prevents the pasta from being too mushy.
- Farfalle, rotini, wagon wheels, or penne are all great choices for this pasta salad because it traps all that delicious pesto. Long pasta is great for recipes like linguine pasta salad which has more of a vinaigrette dressing.
- Serve this pasta salad with spinach and feta chicken burger, Instant Pot turkey tenderloin, or an Instant Pot pork tenderloin.
Storage Info
This is the perfect dish to make for a barbecue because you can make it well in advance and it only gets better as it sits! Make it up to 2 days before you need it and then pour it into your serving dish.
Place the leftover pasta salad in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This pasta salad should be kept cold. If you are serving it on a buffet, make sure to keep it cold at all times.
This is a great recipe to meal prep too! Make the recipe completely and then portion it into individual airtight containers. Then you can enjoy it throughout the week for your meals.
I don't recommend freezing the pasta salad. Pasta in general, does not freeze well.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a few reasons. This will make sure that the pasta doesn't overcook and become gummy. It also makes sure that the hot pasta does not melt the cheese.
Yes! Simply leave out the mozzarella and use a vegan parmesan, such as nutritional yeast.
Yes! If you have homemade pesto or prefer homemade pesto, use that! You'll want about ¾ cup of basil pesto in this recipe.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
📖 Recipe
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta your favorite shape
- 6.7 oz Jar of Pesto ¾ cup
- 1 cup Mozzarella Balls
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes Cut in half
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, add the pesto, mozzarella balls, parmesan cheese, and cut cherry tomatoes into a large bowl.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and run cold water over the drained pasta. This stops the cooking process and cools down the pasta.
- Pour the cooled, cooked pasta into the mixing bowl with the pesto. Mix all the ingredients together. Chill the pasta salad in the refrigerator or serve immediately.
Notes
- You can make this pasta up to 2 days before you want to serve it. Add a little bit of olive oil into the pasta salad right before you are going to serve it to loosen up the pesto.
- If you prefer, feel free to use your favorite homemade pesto. You'll want about ¾ cup of the pesto in the pasta salad.
- Add more pesto if you have a pesto loving family!
- You can add cooked chicken breast, cooked shrimp, or some beans to add protein to this salad.
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