Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad
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Pesto pasta salad is the perfect blend of fresh and bold flavors. With pasta as the base, it’s tossed with juicy grape tomatoes, creamy mozzarella balls, and zesty red onions, all coated in a rich pesto sauce. Whether you need a quick side for a summer BBQ or an easy dish to pack for lunch, this pasta salad fits the bill. Its simple ingredients come together beautifully, offering a satisfying bite every time.
This pasta is great for lunch, as a side, or add chicken and serve for dinner.
Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad
This cold pasta salad is always a crowd-pleaser. You can make your own pesto or use store-bought pesto for an effortless meal!
I recommend tasting the pesto before adding salt to the salad or to the pasta water. Pesto tends to be salty in my opinion.
Ingredients
The full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post. You can save a tree and the recipe to your personal and private recipe box here on Call Me PMc. This way, you’ll never misplace it.
Pesto Pasta Salad Tips
Another recommendation: don’t overcook the pasta. Cook to al dente per the package directions. Next, drain and cool. Some people recommend running the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process, while experts don’t recommend doing this. So, rinse or not, whatever you prefer. Honestly, I can’t tell a difference in taste or texture of the pasta either way.
Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad can be made ahead of time, making it great for entertaining. You can make this recipe a few hours before serving it or the night before. Just keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
You can store this pasta in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If it gets dry, add a little olive oil to the pasta and toss it to coat.
Optional ingredients
- asparagus
- peas
- orzo instead of pasta
What to serve with Pesto Pasta
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More pasta salad recipes for you
are this delicious Italian Tortellini Salad, Zesty Greek Pasta Salad, and the one’s shown below.
Looking for a quick and flavorful side dish? Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad has a mouthwatering combination of flavors. The pesto gives it a bright and fresh but earthy flavor. It’s one of my favorite flavors.
Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary based on the products used.
Pesto Pasta Salad
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain. Cool
- In a large bowl, add pasta, pesto, tomatoes, cheese, and onion. Toss well to coat.
- Serve warm or refrigerate and serve cold.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are important to you, I recommend calculating them yourself.
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