This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad only uses a few simple ingredients, and it tastes like summer in a bowl. You won’t be able to get enough!
Looking for a super simple side dish to make all summer long? This super easy Pesto Pasta Salad is one of my all-time favorite quick and easy side dishes to serve all summer long.
This is the perfect addition to any meal. It’s great with a bit of Grilled Fish, some seasonal fruit, and a loaf of Crusty Bread.
If you need more inspiration, Simple Italian Pasta Salad, Creamy Taco Pasta Salad and Classic Tuna Pasta Salad are all great pasta salads to bring to a party.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy and delicious.
- Great for a group.
- Easy to transport.
- Leftovers make a great lunch.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pasta: Rigatoni or penne are both good options for this pesto salad.
- Fresh mozzarella
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Pesto: Homemade is best in this recipe but you can use store-bought pesto if you need to.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Step #1. Boil water and cook the pasta according to directions on the package.
- Step #2. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water.
- Step #3. Put the pasta in a medium-sized bowl and add the mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil.
- Step #4. In a small separate bowl, combine the pesto and olive oil to form a dressing.
- Step #5. Drizzle the pesto dressing over the pasta and other ingredients and toss to combine.
- Step #6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The salty water adds flavor to the pasta. Add at least 1 tablespoon of salt per pound of pasta after the water is boiling and before you add the pasta.
Taste it! If the noodle is soft but still a bit firm, it’s done.
Yes. You could make it a few hours ahead, but note that the pasta will absorb the pesto dressing so I recommend reserving half of the dressing to add just before serving.
Expert Tips
- If you can make fresh pesto for this recipe, I’d recommend it. But if you don’t have any, you can use a shelf-stable jarred pesto. I’ve used both with great success.
- When it comes to the mozzarella, the fresher the better.
- To enjoy the leftovers the next day, add another spoonful of pesto and a drizzle of olive oil before eating them (because the pasta will absorb most of the dressing).
More Salad Recipes to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Quick & Easy Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Add the pasta to a medium mixing bowl. Add mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto and olive oil.
- Add the pesto dressing to the pasta.
- Stir everything together until it is all well-coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away.
Notes
- The fresher the ingredients used in this recipe, the better. When you only have a handful of ingredients in the recipe, it’s important that they are all as good of quality as you can get.
- To make this pasta salad vegan and dairy-free, you can omit the cheese and use a pesto that doesn’t contain dairy.
- Rinsing the pasta in cold water helps it to stop cooking, so don’t skip that step.
- Add a little more pesto and olive oil to this salad on the second day to refresh the leftovers before serving.
Something about summer just says pasta salad and I’m always up for anything quick and easy! Can’t wait to try this with your no-knead crusty bread. Looking forward to all the other pasta salad recipes that are coming!
That bread is legit the best. Sometimes I even make it into more of a baguette shape and serve it up for bruschetta with summer tomatoes!
Melissa, I feel like you were channeling me when you created this recipe! I LOVE everything going on in here–I actually have some mini mozzarella balls in my fridge right now because they’re my fave afternoon snack :). I know this is going to make an appearance in my kitchen soon. If only I could convince one of my cousins to make some pesto I’d be all set!
I’ll ship you some! That fresh cousin-made pesto is life changing.