Pesto Pasta Salad
Pesto pasta salad creates a creamy dressing using prepared pesto. It generously coats bowtie pasta, cheese, nuts, and veggies for a perfect pasta salad!
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 1969kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dry farfalle
Dressing:
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 1/4 cups pesto, stirred
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, well shaken
- 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Salad:
- 1 (10-ounce) container grape tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
- 2 (8-ounce) container fresh Mozzarella in water, diced into small cubes
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool pasta to room temperature.
- For Dressing: in a large bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- Salad: When pasta has cooled, add to the dressing. Stir in the rest of the salad ingredients and toss with dressing until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Pasta Prep- Don't overcook your pasta. It does soak up the dressing as it sits, and we're not looking for super soft pasta in this salad. Use solid pasta prep techniques and cook to al dente. Also, be sure to allow the pasta to cool before assembling!
- Julienne- To cut the basil, a technique called julienne is used. This simply means to cut into long, thin strips like matchsticks. It can take a bit of practice and patience, but the presentation is well worth it. The bright green strips of basil make the salad pop with color!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the recipe | Calories: 1969kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 64g | Fat: 140g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 2290mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 2300IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 787mg | Iron: 4.9mg