This pesto pasta salad with homemade basil pesto offers a delicious combination of flavours with ease of preparation. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or a group, this salad is sure to satisfy your taste buds and provide a delightful vegetarian side dish that can easily be turned into a main meal!
The star of this dish is definitely the fresh and vibrant homemade basil pesto! It is so easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients! Not only is the basil pesto amazing in this pasta salad, it can be used in a variety of other recipes adding a burst of fresh, rich, and well-rounded flavours to your creations.
Why you’ll love this pesto pasta salad:
QUICK AND EASY
- This basil pesto pasta salad is relatively quick to prepare, making it an excellent option for busy days or when you want a hassle-free meal. Once the pesto is made, you can simply toss it with the cooked pasta and remaining salad ingredients. You could also use store bought pesto to make this meal even easier!
- You can prepare the basil pesto and cook the pasta in advance. Assemble the salad closer to serving time to maintain the freshness of the ingredients. Any leftovers are perfect to enjoy the next day.
GREAT FOR EVENTS OR GATHERINGS
- This pesto pasta salad is sure to be crowd-pleaser and will be a perfect side dish for your next gathering! It can be made in larger quantities and is served cold, making it a convenient option for sharing.
Ingredients needed:
- Pasta of choice
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Cherry bocconcini, halved
- Rocket
- Basil, chopped
- Parmesan cheese
Basil Pesto
- Pine nuts, toasted
- Basil
- Minced garlic
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
How to make pesto pasta salad:
- Preheat oven to 180°c (fan forced) and line a baking tray. Add your pine nuts and roast for 5 minutes then allow to cool slightly.
- Cook pasta as per directions.
- In a blender or food processor add the basil, pine nuts, minced garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, olive oil and blend until smooth.
- In a large salad bowl add the rocket, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, baby bocconcini, basil pesto, chopped basil and parmesan cheese.
- Mix, serve and enjoy!
Other recipes to try:
- Roasted sweet potato & quinoa salad with honey mustard dressing
- Egg salad pita pocket
- Creamy tofu pasta
Pesto pasta salad with homemade basil pesto
Whether you're cooking for yourself or a group, this pesto pasta salad is sure to satisfy your taste buds and provide a delicious vegetarian side dish!
Ingredients
- 350g pasta of choice
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 220g cherry bocconcini halved
- 1 handful of rocket
- basil leaves chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
Basil pesto
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 cups basil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- salt/pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°c (fan forced) and line a baking tray. Add your pine nuts and roast for 5 minutes then allow to cool slightly.
- Cook pasta as per directions.
- In a blender or food processor add the basil, pine nuts, minced garlic, salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, olive oil and blend until smooth.
- In a large salad bowl add the rocket, cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, cherry bocconcini, basil pesto, sliced basil and parmesan cheese.
- Mix, serve and enjoy!
Notes
If you’re short on time you can always use a store bought pesto!
