Summer Pasta Salad Pesto (Print View)

A refreshing pasta featuring basil pesto, juicy cherry tomatoes, and parmesan shavings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.6 ounces short pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Pesto

03 - 1.8 ounces fresh basil leaves
04 - 1.4 ounces pine nuts, lightly toasted
05 - 1 garlic clove
06 - 1.8 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
07 - 3.4 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Salad Add-ins

09 - 8.8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1.8 ounces baby arugula, optional
11 - 1.1 ounces parmesan shavings for garnish
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool quickly. Set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, prepare the pesto. In a food processor, blend basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, and grated parmesan until finely chopped. Gradually add olive oil while blending until a smooth sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cherry tomatoes, and arugula if using.
04 - Add the pesto and toss thoroughly to coat. Adjust seasoning if needed.
05 - Transfer the salad to a serving platter. Top with parmesan shavings and lemon zest. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The homemade pesto is so vibrant and garlicky that even people who swear they don't like salad will come back for seconds.
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, and tastes even better the next day when the flavors have gotten to know each other.
  • You can throw it in a container and forget about it until dinner time, which feels like a small miracle on busy days.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the pasta under cold water—warm pasta will wilt the arugula and make the pesto taste flat and dull.
  • If you're making this more than an hour ahead, dress it at the last moment because the pasta will keep absorbing the pesto and turn gummy, which I learned the hard way at a picnic in June.
03 -
  • If pine nuts are too expensive or hard to find, toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds will give you almost the same depth and richness for a fraction of the cost.
  • Make extra pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays so you have little flavor bombs ready to toss into soups, roasted vegetables, or fresh mozzarella whenever the mood strikes.
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