Super Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Food

FABULOUS PESTO PASTA SALAD

Fabulous Pesto Pasta Salad image

This chilled pasta salad is perfect as a side dish or a main course. Serve with warm garlic bread and the perfect wine!

Provided by ERILEY

Categories Salad 100+ Pasta Salad Recipes Farfalle Pasta Salad Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ cups chopped fresh basil
½ cup chopped fresh oregano
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (4 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can minced black olives
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomatoes, green onions and olives to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool. Add pasta to the bowl of dressing, and mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 505.5 calories, Carbohydrate 50.7 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Fat 26.7 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 6.6 g, Sodium 730.6 mg, Sugar 6 g

PASTA SALAD WITH PESTO

Pasta Salad with Pesto image

Zesty pesto, green peas, pine nuts, and mozzarella pearls make a flavorful and pretty pasta salad.

Provided by Jennifer Segal

Categories Salads

Time 30m

Yield 8 to 10

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup homemade or store-bought pesto
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon
1½ cups frozen peas, defrosted, divided
¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
One 8-oz package mozzarella pearls
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, for serving

Steps:

Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water until fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes (you don't want al dente pasta here). Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, purée the pesto, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the peas. Add the mayonnaise and purée until smooth.
Add the pesto-pea mixture to the cooled pasta, along with the Parmesan, ¾ cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, the salt, and the pepper. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (I usually add ¼ teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you're using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Serve at room temperature.
Note: To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Watch the nuts carefully, as they can burn quickly, and transfer them to small bowl immediately after cooking (they will continue to brown in the hot pan).
Make-Ahead Instructions: The components of this pasta salad can be made ahead a day ahead of time; just keep everything separate and toss together right before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 544, Fat 36 g, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 15 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sugar 3 g, Fiber 3 g, Sodium 591 mg, Cholesterol 29 mg

COLD PESTO PASTA SALAD

Cold Pesto Pasta Salad image

This recipe was submitted to Semi-homemade magazine by Courtney Dollar. It is a great accompaniment to a picnic, backyard bbq or anywhere you need multiple dishes that are easy to make and go well with a variety of foods. Super with chicken or sandwiches. If you substitute tri-color pasta it makes it even more colorful when matched with the fresh vegetables. You can add onions for more flavor but it is good without too. Enjoy! ChefDLH

Provided by ChefDLH

Categories Summer

Time 15m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce (Classico is great!)
shaved parmesan cheese (or shredded)

Steps:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot cook pasta according to the package directions.
Drain pasta and rinse with cold water and drain again.
In a large bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, and pesto.
toss.
top with parmesan.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 238.8, Fat 1.6, SaturatedFat 0.2, Sodium 7.3, Carbohydrate 53.6, Fiber 7.8, Sugar 0.9, Protein 5.8