Sun-dried tomatoes and basil bring intense flavor to this red pesto pasta salad. The recipe is super easy, packs a lot of punch, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta salad combines cooked cold pasta, sun-dried tomato pesto, cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, crunchy arugula, and fresh basil leaves. It’s incredibly flavorful and provides a welcome variety to this classic Italian pasta salad with sun-dried tomatoes.
Instead of tossed with a dressing, pesto pasta salad is seasoned with pesto sauce. I love to use a homemade sun-dried tomato pesto (also known as red pesto or pesto rosso) for this. Sun-dried tomatoes are super aromatic and turn this cold pasta salad into a family favorite.
Ingredients
You can find the quantities in the recipe.
- Pasta → Of your choice! I like to use rigatoni, fusilli, penne, or farfalle. Feel free to use gluten-free pasta.
- Cherry Tomatoes → Add freshness and some juiciness. Can also be substituted with chopped tomatoes of your choice.
- Arugula & Fresh Basil → For a color intense salad and extra flavor!
- Pine Nuts → Provide a great crunch and nutty flavor. Be sure to toast them first!
- Olive Oil → Just a little to toss the salad. Feel free to add some balsamic vinegar or lemon juice too.
- Red Pesto → Sun-dried tomatoes, the oil in which the tomatoes are packed in, toasted almonds, garlic, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup (or sugar), salt & pepper.
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
- Pesto: Toast almonds in a skillet without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown. Place them with the remaining pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the pesto has the desired consistency.
- Cook pasta according to the packet instructions in boiling salt water until al dente. Drain, toss with some olive oil if desired, and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Toast pine nuts in a skillet without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well or whisk them together in a small bowl.
- Arrange all pasta salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pesto on top and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
This salad can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the fridge until needed. Hint: I like to take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving! For the arugula to stay crunchy and not to wilt, fold it under the salad just before serving. 😉
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Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
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📖 Recipe
Red Pesto Pasta Salad
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Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 10.5 oz pasta, I recommend fusilli, penne, or rigatoni
- 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups arugula
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Red Pesto
- ⅓ cup almonds, toasted
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 4 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar, or olive oil, see notes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup, or sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pesto: Toast almonds in a skillet without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown. Place them with the remaining pesto ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until the pesto has the desired consistency.
- Cook pasta according to the packet instructions in boiling salt water until al dente. Drain, toss with some olive oil if desired, and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Toast pine nuts in a skillet without oil for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar and shake well or whisk them together in a small bowl.
- Arrange all pasta salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add the pesto on top and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Oil: Using the oil, in which the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in, adds extra flavor to your pesto. Plus, it’s an excellent way to use it up. ➝ You can mix it with olive oil if there isn’t enough oil in the jar.
- Pesto: This recipe tasted best with homemade pesto. Anyhow, sometimes there is just not enough time, the quicker way is to use store-bought pesto.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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