Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fusilli pasta (use gluten-free pasta for a GF version)
- ¾ cup basil pesto
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounces mini mozzarella pearls
- 1 medium cucumber peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain the water
- Rinse the pasta with cool water.
- In a large bowl, mix together 1/4 cup reserved pasta water with the pesto.
- Add the pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, cucumber and pine nuts and mix until combined.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- The best ingredients will give you the best results, so get the best-tasting pesto if you’re using store-bought and use the freshest ingredients if making your own pesto sauce.
- Rinsing the pasta under cool water stops the cooking process, so you have perfectly cooked al dente pasta. Otherwise, it could turn mushy.