I admit; I’m not a big fan of cold pasta. They are generally dry, and I don’t like them most of the time. But this pesto pasta salad from RecipeTin Eats on Youtube turned me into a cold pasta lover! This recipe is not your typical pesto pasta salad; it’s juicy and flavorful, and the bright green color is just love! My family loves it, and I serve this almost every day. Learn the recipe in the video below.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz spiral pasta
• 1 tbsp salt, for cooking pasta

For the pesto:

• 2 tbsp pinenuts
• 2 cups basil leaves, tightly packed
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pasta Salad:

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 heaped cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 7 oz baby bocconcini, drained and cut in half
• 1 cup baby rocket/arugula leaves, tightly packed
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• small basil leaves, optional garnish

Directions:

Step 1

To start, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Next, for the pesto, add 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/2 cup of parmesan, 2 tbsp pinenuts, 1 small clove of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a jug of an immersion blender. Blitz until just smooth. (Don’t puree it.)

[social_warfare]

Step 2

Transfer the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl, then add the pesto mixture and 2 tbsp mayonnaise. Mix well. Next, add the cherry tomatoes followed by bocconcini and rocket leaves. Toss to combine. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with small basil leaves (optional).

Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe