We all know the beloved potluck classic pasta salad. You know the one that’s essentially made with a bottle of Italian dressing and a few extra add-ins. It serves its purpose on the spring/summer sides table. Its the bright and refreshing addition to your plate, making you feel a little less guilty about all the burgers, hot dogs, chips and dips you’ve devoured. However, have you had pesto pasta salad? I hadn’t either, until recently and this might be replacing the classic version for me.

In all honesty, as much as I like the traditional pasta salad, it can sometimes deliver one note on the palate. There’s not much flavor variance with the Italian dressing edging on the side of being more tangy and sour more than anything else.

The pesto pasta salad hits all the similar marks, but has a depth of flavor that your mouth should experience this spring. You still get the sweet vinegar taste you desire with the addition of pickled red onions and saltiness of the olives. Then, with a splash of fresh lemon juice, to brighten it all up, it all comes together nicely with the pesto for a complex yet balanced hot weather approved side dish.

This is one of those recipes that if you have all the components causally sitting in your fridge, you can throw it together in 11-13 minutes; aka the time it takes to boil the pasta noodles. Also, it can be customized to your liking. Add in cubed ham, mini mozzarella cheese balls, more herbs like parsley, dill or cilantro. The possibilities are quite endless, but if you want to stick with this basic recipe first, you will still be more than satisfied with the final product.

Recipe notes:

Use the pesto recipe from my previous post. You will only need about half of that recipe to create this dish.
Below in the recipe, it says prep time can be up to an hour. If you do not have pickled red onions prepared ahead of time, that’s where the hour comes from. If you do not know how to make these yourself, use this the basic pickled red onion recipe before proceeding further.
- basic pickled red onions:
  - 1/2 large red onion
  - 1/2 cup water
  - 1/4 cup white vinegar
  - 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  - 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  - 1/2 tsp salt
  - combine all ingredients into a mason jar, give it a little shake to dissolve the sugar and salt, and allow to sit for at least 1 hour. You can store the unused portion in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
If you have an aversion to olives like a few of my friends, the olive varietal used in this recipe is more buttery and mild compared to the green olive you’re used to with the pimento center. So, before you skip this ingredient, give it a chance.
For best results make this pasta salad or any pasta salad for that fact, a day ahead to allow the flavors to mingle and play nice before serving.

I think I covered what is needed to successfully make this, but if I didn’t, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll be happy to answer any additional questions.

Until next time friends, TOODLES!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Yields: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: up to 1 hour |Cook Time: 11-13 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

12 oz (1 box) fusilli pasta noodles
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/2 cup pickled red onions
1/4 cup castelvetrano olives (pitted & chopped)
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste

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Instructions

Follow the packaging instructions to cook the pasta noodles. Once those are fully cooked, rinse the noodles in cold water and place in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the remaining ingredients to the bowl and toss well together.
Taste for salt and then present immediately or set in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours before serving.
Enjoy!

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