Pesto pasta salad is a fresh take and nice change from regular macaroni salad. It’s easy to make ahead and is perfect as a side dish to grilled meats and would also be great to take to a picnic or potluck. You can also have it as a main meal if you add some protein like grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp.
Gather up your ingredients:
Boil the pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
Drain, rinse pasta, and let cool.
Place pasta in a large bowl, add pesto and vegetables, gently toss together to coat.
Garnish with remaining parsley.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
PrintPesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
2 cups rotini pasta (or any shape you like for pasta salad)
1 cup jarred pesto
1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ½ cups fresh mozzarella balls, halved
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)
Instructions
Boil the pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, prep the rest of the ingredients.
Drain, rinse pasta, and let cool.
Place pasta in a large bowl, add pesto and vegetables, gently toss together to coat.
Garnish with remaining parsley.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.