Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella

What Is Pesto Pasta Salad?

A traditional pasta salad is a chilled salad dish consisting of pasta, veggies, cheese, and a light dressing such as olive oil. A pesto pasta salad is a type of pasta salad made with mozzarella cheese and homemade fresh basil pesto dressing.

Pesto pasta salad is often served as an appetizer, side dish, or as a main course. It’s a wonderful dish to bring to a potluck or large gathering, and is incredibly easy to prepare ahead of time and assemble right before serving. This will undoubtedly become your go-to dish!

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad

Prior to cooking the pasta and assembling the salad, have the basil pesto sauce ready to go. Our favorite is homemade fresh basil pesto, but if you choose store-bought pesto, pick a pesto from the refrigerated section for the best results.

• Cook the pasta: Lightly salt and boil water in a medium pot, then cook the pasta to al dente. Once cooked, drain the hot water and allow pasta to cool to room temperature.
• Add remaining ingredients: Place arugula on the bottom of a large bowl, then add cold pasta, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and pesto.
• Toss it together: Toss the salad together, then garnish. Enjoy!

Customizing Your Pesto Pasta Salad

Change up your pesto pasta salad with these simple ingredient adjustments. You’ll never get bored when it tastes slightly different each time!

• Cheese: If you can’t find fresh mozzarella pearls, make your own by simply cutting a block of fresh mozzarella cheese into small cubes. Or, swap out the mozzarella pearls with freshly shredded parmesan cheese (for a salty, nutty, and spicy taste) or cubed provolone (for a sharp, nutty, and salty flavor). Optionally, add a sprinkle of feta cheese on top as a garnish.
• Pasta: Rotini, penne, fusilli, and farfalle pastas are all great choices. No matter what you use, cook the pasta al dente.
• Veggies: In addition to cherry tomatoes, add or swap out with diced bell peppers, cucumbers, red onions, corn, chickpeas, or kalamata olives.
• Leafy greens: Arugula, lettuce, micro-greens, or extra basil add a perfect green color, crunch, and freshness to the salad.
• Protein: Chopped salami, shredded chicken, or slices of pepperoni are delicious meaty additions to this pasta salad.

Tips to Make an Excellent Pasta Salad

An excellent pasta salad starts at the beginning. For the best results, follow these tips as you prepare your ingredients.

• Cook pasta al dente: To avoid a mushy pasta salad, cook the pasta just until al dente (firm to the tooth). Drain hot water immediately and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking more.
• Chill the pasta: After cooking the pasta, chill it in the fridge before mixing with the remaining ingredients. If you add in warm/hot pasta, the mozzarella cheese may melt.
• Prepare ahead of time: Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time, but don’t combine until right before serving. This will give the freshest flavor and texture.
• Keep tomatoes whole: If you’re planning on leftovers, keep the cherry tomatoes whole. This will keep the liquid inside the tomatoes instead of making the salad too moist.

Serving Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto pasta salad works great as a light meal or as a side to most main entrees. Serve it with a hot bowl of chicken mushroom soup or meatball kale soup for a balance of hot and cold.

Or, take a bowl of salad to lunch with a steak sandwich or turkey focaccia sandwich.

If you like grilled protein, pair the salad with grilled huli huli chicken, grilled chicken thighs, or savory lamb kabobs. There’s nothing like a cool and refreshing pasta salad paired with fresh, hot-off-the-grill meat.

Storing the Salad

Since pasta salad is a chilled salad, it makes storing it even easier. To store mixed pasta salad for up to three days, place it in an airtight container or bowl and pop it into the refrigerator. Keep in mind, the salad softens the longer it sits, so it’s best to enjoy it as quickly as possible!

To safely store for a little longer, prepare the ingredients but do not mix the pasta salad until ready to serve.

FAQ

More Great Potluck Salads

• Italian Pasta Salad – Classic Italian pasta salad
• Caprese Pasta Salad – Mozzarella, tomatoes, and chopped basil in a vinegar-oil dressing
• Broccoli Crab Salad – Veggies, crabmeat, and a creamy citrus dressing
• Israeli Couscous Salad – A medley of couscous, veggies, herbs and an easy dressing!
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad – Chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers and more tossed in an easy dressing.
• Broccoli Cauliflower Salad – Crunch veggies, sunflower seeds, and bacon with lemon-mayo dressing

Recipe

Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella

Print Pin

Servings

6 servings

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

This pesto pasta salad is made with vibrantly-colored basil pesto, veggies, and cheese. Toss everything together and you've got a flawless potluck dish.

Ingredients

• 8 oz pasta cooked al dente
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 6 oz Mozzarella pearls
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes cut in halves
• 1/2 cup basil pesto

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain pasta and let it cool to room temperature.
  
• Place arugula on the bottom of a large bowl. Add cold pasta, Mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil pesto.
  
• Toss everything together. Serve with a bit of parmesan and fresh basil as a garnish. Enjoy!
  

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella

Amount Per Serving

Calories 302 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g

Cholesterol 12mg4%

Sodium 223mg9%

Potassium 217mg6%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 818IU16%

Vitamin C 12mg15%

Calcium 159mg16%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.