Green Pesto Pasta Salad (Printable)

Vibrant pasta salad with aromatic basil pesto, sweet peas, and cherry tomatoes. Light, refreshing, and ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 ounces short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or farfalle

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 cup frozen peas
03 - 1 1/3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Pesto

04 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto

→ Dairy

05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

→ Seasoning

06 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

08 - Fresh basil leaves, optional

# How-To:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
02 - Add the frozen peas to the pot during the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking time.
03 - Drain the pasta and peas, rinse under cold water to cool, and drain thoroughly.
04 - In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta and peas with cherry tomatoes.
05 - Add the pesto and olive oil, tossing gently to coat everything evenly.
06 - Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - If desired, add grated Parmesan cheese and toss again.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes better after sitting for an hour, which means you can make it ahead and actually enjoy your guests.
  • The pesto does all the heavy lifting, so you get massive flavor with almost no effort.
  • It works at any temperature, from just-made and warm to straight out of the fridge the next day.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the pasta with cold water, the residual heat will wilt the basil and turn the tomatoes mealy.
  • Pesto straight from the jar can be thick and stubborn, the olive oil is not optional, it makes everything silky.
03 -
  • Use the best pesto you can find or afford, because it's doing most of the work here and you'll taste the difference.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, double the recipe but don't double the salt until you've tasted it first.
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