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Pesto Pasta Salad! This pasta salad is loaded up with fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and coated with an easy to make homemade pesto sauce made with fresh basil and garlic.
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Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad! This pasta salad is loaded up with fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and coated with an easy to make homemade pesto sauce made with fresh basil and garlic.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Author: Serene

Ingredients

Pesto Sauce

  • 2 cups fresh basil stems removed
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts can sub with walnuts if needed
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup fresh parmesan grated

Pasta Salad

  • 1 pound Fusilli pasta or pasta noodle of choice
  • Prepared Pesto Sauce
  • ¾ cup Italian dressing
  • 2 cups diced cherry tomatoes
  • 7 ounces fresh mozzarella can find the ball shaped mozzarella in the deli section of most markets

Optional additions

  • olives
  • dried currents

Instructions

Pesto Sauce

  • Add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan to a food processor. Pulse until mostly mixed and basil and pine nuts have been broken down to small pieces.
  • Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing the processor until all oil added and sauce is mixed.

Pasta Salad

  • Boil the pasta noodles until cooked and softened. Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to help cool them.
  • Add the pesto sauce and Italian dressing. Stir until the noodles are fully coated. Add the diced tomatoes and mozzarella. Fold to combine.
  • Cover and chill for about 2 hours prior to serving. If the noodles have soaked up too much sauce add more Italian dressing as needed.
  • Serve chilled and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 262mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 2mg