Green Pesto Pasta Salad (Printable Version)

Vibrant pasta salad with aromatic basil pesto, sweet peas, and cherry tomatoes. Ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz short pasta (penne, fusilli, or farfalle)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup frozen peas
03 - 1 1/3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Pesto

04 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto, store-bought or homemade

→ Dairy (Optional)

05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Seasoning

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish (Optional)

08 - Fresh basil leaves

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
02 - Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.
03 - During the final 2 minutes of pasta cooking, add frozen peas to the pot.
04 - Drain pasta and peas through a colander, then rinse thoroughly under cold running water until completely cooled. Drain well to remove excess moisture.
05 - Transfer cooled pasta and peas to a large mixing bowl, then add halved cherry tomatoes.
06 - Add basil pesto and olive oil to the pasta mixture, tossing gently until all components are evenly coated.
07 - Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
08 - If using, add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with fresh basil leaves before presenting.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes better cold than hot, which means you can make it hours ahead and actually enjoy your guests instead of sweating over the stove.
  • The pesto does all the flavor work for you, so even if youre half asleep or distracted by a good podcast, it still turns out delicious.
02 -
  • Rinsing the pasta under cold water stops the cooking and prevents the salad from turning into a sticky blob, so don't skip this step even if it feels wrong.
  • If you make this ahead, the pasta will soak up some of the pesto as it sits; stir in a splash more olive oil and a spoonful of pesto right before serving to bring it back to life.
03 -
  • Salt your pasta water generously, like the sea; this is your only chance to season the pasta itself, and under-salted pasta makes the whole dish taste flat.
  • If your cherry tomatoes aren't very sweet, toss them with a tiny pinch of sugar and a drizzle of olive oil before adding them to the salad; it coaxes out their flavor and makes them taste like summer even in the off-season.
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