Pesto Pasta Salad

Name: Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 pound whole grain pasta (fusilli, rotini, penne or farfalle); 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered; 3 handfuls baby arugula or spinach; Optional cheese: ½ cup or more crumbled feta cheese, little mozzarella balls or grated Parmesan; Optional additions: ½ cup thinly sliced Kalamata olives and/or 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas); Freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)*; ½ cup packed fresh basil; ½ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley or additional basil; ¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons); 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped; ½ teaspoon fine salt; ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Prep:15minCook:10min

This pesto pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh flavor. It's light, healthy and easy to make. Perfect for picnics and potlucks! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.

Updated at: Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:04:57 GMT