Pesto Pasta Salad
Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

20 min Easy Vegetarian 563 kcal 19.3 g protein

Pasta salad often turns dry, because pasta takes up moisture as it cools. So do not rinse it cold, but fold the pesto through while the pasta is still warm, and keep some extra pesto or olive oil back to stir through right before serving.

Ingredients

4 servings

Nutrition per serving

563
kcal
19.3g
protein
61.2g
carbohydrate
26.9g
fat

Source of protein14% of the energy from protein

Method

  1. Step 1: Cook the fusilli al dente, drain and rinse briefly under cold water.
    1

    Cook the fusilli al dente, drain and rinse briefly under cold water.

  2. Step 2: Toast the pine nuts golden in a dry frying pan.
    2

    Toast the pine nuts golden in a dry frying pan.

  3. Step 3: Mix the pasta with the pesto, olive oil and the halved cherry tomatoes.
    3

    Mix the pasta with the pesto, olive oil and the halved cherry tomatoes.

  4. Step 4: Fold in the mozzarella and rocket and scatter the pine nuts over the top.
    4

    Fold in the mozzarella and rocket and scatter the pine nuts over the top.

Tips from RandomRecept
  • Rinse the pasta cold, that keeps the salad fresh and stops it sticking.
  • Keep a spoonful of pasta water to spread the pesto more easily.
  • In a sealed container the salad keeps for 2 days.

Variations and storing

The rocket goes in at the last moment, otherwise it wilts away. Toasted pine nuts, grilled courgette or sun-dried tomato make it fuller. This salad is ideal to take to a birthday or a picnic and keeps two days, though the rocket discolours.

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