Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
Summer Pesto Pasta Salad: an easy pasta salad, filled with Mediterranean flavors and ready in under 15 minutes. A real crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (180 g) dry short-shape pasta half rigatoni, penne, bow ties, or fusilli
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup (150 g) cherry tomatoes halved
- 120 grams fresh mozzarella either small balls or cubed, 4.2 ounces
- ¼ cup (50 g) kalamata olives
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts
- fresh basil for garnish
For the basil pesto:
- 50 grams fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ clove garlic
- a big pinch of sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water, drain and reserve some of the water.
- Rinse the pasta under cold running water to stop the cooking process and toss it with half tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the basil pesto.
- In a food processor, combine the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, salt and parmesan cheese. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady small stream.
- If the pesto is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a bit of the reserved water or more oil.
- When the pasta is cold, toss it with the pesto until evenly coated.
- Add the olives, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, sprinkle with pine nuts and garnish with basil leaves.
- Enjoy this summer pesto pasta salad!
Nutrition
Serving: 192g | Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 20.5g | Fat: 23.2g | Saturated Fat: 6.8g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 438mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1.4g
