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Pesto Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 6
This pesto pasta salad recipe is a fresh, delicious summer side dish! Make it gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free rotini pasta. Skip the cheese to make it vegan.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces spiral pasta, such as rotini, fusilli, or cavatappi
  • ¾ cup pasta water
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1½ cups mini mozzarella balls, halved (8 ounces)
  • 1½ cups arugula
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, optional
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • Red pepper flakes, optional

Pesto

  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until slightly past al dente. Before draining the pasta, scoop up ¾ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and toss it with a little olive oil so that it doesn’t stick together. Spread the pasta on a baking sheet and let it (and the reserved pasta water) cool to room temperature.
  • Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper and pulse until well chopped. Add the basil and pulse to combine. With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined. Add the cheese, if using, and briefly pulse to combine. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the pasta, pesto, ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, lemon juice, salt, and several grinds of pepper and toss. Fold in the tomatoes, mozzarella, and arugula and season to taste, adding more pasta water as needed to coat the salad in a lightly creamy sauce. Top with the pine nuts, basil, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

We recently re-tested and updated this recipe with the additions of cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, and arugula to add textural variety and depth of flavor. To make the previous version, omit the mozzarella and arugula and replace the tomatoes with 3 small zucchini and/or yellow squash, thinly sliced on a mandoline.