Pesto Pasta Salad

from kristineskitchenblog.com

This easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe is filled with vegetables and a flavorful pesto sauce! A colorful pesto pasta salad that's easy to make for a potluck or BBQ.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Servings: servings

Calories: 438kcal

Ingredients

For the Pasta Salad:

12 ounces short pasta shapes such as fusilli, cavatappi, farfalle, penne or campanelle
1 cup pesto sauce see recipe below or use store-bought
2 bell peppers any color, chopped
1 English cucumber chopped
8 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
14 ounce can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
4 green onions thinly sliced
black pepper to taste

For the Pesto Sauce:

3 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 ounces
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup olive oil

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta well and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
If making homemade pesto sauce, place all pesto ingredients except olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube. Process until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Stir the pesto sauce into the cooled pasta until the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Add the bell peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and green onions to the bowl and stir to combine. Season with pepper, to taste. If the pasta salad seems dry, drizzle on a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and stir to incorporate.
Pasta salad can be served immediately, but is best if chilled for at least 2 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.