Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

4.25 from 33 votes

Pesto Pasta Salad with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Pesto Pasta Salad is a quick pasta dish that tastes like summer in a bowl. Add bite-sized mozzarella pearls and fresh tomatoes and this pasta can be served warm or chilled, as a side dish or as its own light meal.

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Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: bbq side dish, pasta salad, potluck recipe, summer, summer entertaining

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $9.50

Equipment

Stockpot
Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

8 ounces Uncooked Pasta (227 grams) (this is half of most standard boxes / bags of pasta; any shape will work, but I like it with bowties / farfalle)
1/2 cup Basil Pesto (120 milliliters)
1 cup Tomatoes, cherry or grape, halved
4 ounces Pearl Mozzarella (113 grams) (see note)

Instructions

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain (do not rinse). Allow pasta to cool about 10 minutes (you don’t want it to be piping hot or it will melt the cheese).
In a large mixing bowl, stir together cooked pasta and pesto until evenly combined.
Fold in tomatoes and mozzarella.
Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

Pearl Mozzarella - These tiny balls of mozzarella are great for pasta salad because you’ll get a bit of cheese in every bite. They typically come tightly packed together in a vacuum-packed bag. If you can’t find pearl mozzarella, try using fresh mozzarella chopped into bite-sized pieces.

Make ahead - You can make this pasta salad up to 8 hours ahead of time. Toss the pasta salad with half of the pesto and refrigerate it. Toss it with the remaining pesto right before serving.

Nutrition