Pesto Pasta Salad
Sun-dried tomatoes and basil bring intense flavor to this pesto pasta salad. The recipe is super easy, packs a lot of punch, and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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Servings :
Calories : 562kcal
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- 10.5 oz (300 g) pasta I recommend fusilli, penne, or rigatoni
- 1 ½ cup (200 g) cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cups (40 g) arugula
- 2 tbsp (30 g) pine nuts toasted
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Pesto Rosso
- ⅓ cup (30 g) almonds toasted
- 1 cup (100 g) sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar or olive oil, see notes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup or sugar
- ¼ tsp 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. The salad tasted delicious too with this homemade basil pesto (green pesto).
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 819IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg