Pesto Pasta Salad

Recipe: Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad is one of the easiest, tastiest salad that one can enjoy as a light meal. Healthy and versatile, add any salad ingredients of your choice. For hubby and me pesto pasta salad is our picnic or eat out on the balcony meal. Sometimes accompanied by some bread sometimes not. All depends. Though I do carry a slice or two to wipe the bowl. After we finish the salad we don’t waste the pesto and olive oil that sticks to the bowls.

 

Sharing pesto Pasta Salad With Sunday Funday

This Sunday’s theme has been suggested by Camilla. She wrote ” August 31st is Eat Outside Day! Share a favourite recipe that you would take on a picnic“. This time summer has been pretty hot. Several picnics, eating out on the balcony, in the garden, etc. As it was too hot to cook elaborate meals, we’ve been taking out a lot of salads for our lunch picnics. Luckily the huge park around the lake is right in front of our building. So even though we don’t have a garden, we really don’t need one as the park is our garden. Only thing is as hubby says, we don’t have to work at it to maintain it 🙂

A Bit More About Pesto Pasta Salad

Feel free to use any pesto of your choice. It can be the traditional Basil one or perhaps a Parsley Walnut Pesto , Coriander Mint & Cashew Nut Pesto. Or any other different kind of pesto that you make at home. Add sweet corn, beans, peas, baby spinach, arugula, bell pepper, etc if you want to. My pesto pasta salad mostly turns out different as I use a variety of pesto and veggies. All depends on what is in the fridge.

 

Some Eat Outside Food Recipes You May Like

Eat Outside Recipes By Members Of Sunday Funday

• Blue Cheese Spinach Fig Tarts by Food Lust People Love
• Cheese Muffuletta (Vegetarian) by Palatable Pastime
• Chicken Fajita Foil Packets by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Heirloom Tomato & Whipped Feta Sourdough Sandwich by Our Good Life
• Keto Salami & Egg Cups by Sneha’s Recipe
• Muddy Buddy Marshmallow Brownies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Pesto Pasta Salad by Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Quick Pork Liver Pâté by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

 

Ingredients Required For Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta

Use any pasta of your choice, fusilli, penne, farfelle, orecchiette, ditalini , macaroni, etc. Whenever I am not using a creamy dressing like sour cream, mayonnaise, for a pasta salad, I allow the pasta to boil a bit more and not al dente. This way the salad will not taste dry.  Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the packet but boil it extra for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pasta out into a colander and allow it to cool down completely before adding to the salad.

Water

Enough tap water to boil the pasta.

Cucumber

I prefer to use English or Persian cucumber. The skin tends to be soft and these variety of cucumbers contain small and soft seeds. Cut the cucumber into cubes or chunks.

Baby Tomatoes

Use any baby tomatoes of your choice. Best  to slice them into halves so that the pesto coats the inner parts of the tomatoes.

Mozzarella Balls

Also known as Bocconcini or mozzarella pearls. Cut them into halves. If you don’t bocconcini, then buy the normal mozzarella and cut it into chunks.

Olives

Add any olives of your choice. Leave them whole if you get the ones with seeds. If you get the seedless ones, slice them or cut into halves.

Pesto

Sometimes, I buy ready made pesto from our local market or make it at home. I like to make Parsley Walnut Pesto. I prefer to use flat parsley.

Salt

We will need some salt to add to the boiling pasta. Be careful when adding some to the salad. You may not need it as the pasta and pesto will contain some salt. Taste first and then add salt.

Pepper

Add freshly cracked black pepper for full flavour.

Olive Oil

Best to use good quality extra virgin olive oil. Though the pesto contains some olive oil, I like to add a bit to the salad so that it does not taste dry.

Red Chilli Flakes

Optional, to add a bit of kick to the salad.

 

 

 

Pin For Later

https://ca.pinterest.com/pin/237776055321796687/

 

 

 

 

 

A Small Request

If you do try this recipe then please either

• add a comment below,
• send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
•  tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
• or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62