Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad is a bright and flavorful dish perfect for spring and summer gatherings or even meal prep. Made with spiral pasta, simple veggies, and a 3-ingredient, creamy pesto dressing. This salad is quick and easy to make, satisfying, and always a crowd-pleaser.

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What You’ll Love About Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

There is always a good time for pasta salad but especially now that spring is here and warmer days are ahead of us. Pasta salads are great for so many occasions like easy lunches for the week, a simple side dish option, holidays, and BBQ’s.

This Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad is bold and delicious. If you’ve ever enjoyed anything with pesto, you know the herby, garlicky punch of flavor it adds to every bite, and you’ll love it in this salad.

With just a handful of ingredients and hardly any preparation, this salad can be whipped up in no time. It’s the perfect mix of creamy, herby, tangy, and savoriness, with layers of flavor and texture. A big bowl of pure goodness!

Try my popular Pesto Chicken Sheet Pan Meal or Green Goddess Chicken Pasta Salad for more delicious pesto flavors.

Key Ingredients

• Pasta– I like using spiral pasta because the curves and ridges captures the creamy pesto sauce.
• Tomatoes– Cherry tomatoes are great for pasta salads because they don’t have a lot of seeds and the sweetness is a nice balance with the tangy pesto dressing.
• Greens– I use a combination of arugula for a peppery flavor, along with spinach for nutrition and freshness.
• Cheese- I like to use fresh, mini mozzarella balls for texture, and a salty rich flavor.
• Dressing– Prepared pesto, mayo, plain, full-fat Greek yogurt, salt and pepper.
• Parmesan cheese- Parm adds a wonderful nutty, salty flavor. We use this to garnish the top of the salad.
• Fresh basil– Add this to garnish the pasta salad and add freshness.

Substitutions and Additions

Highlighted Tip

• If your pesto dressing is too thick- Depending on the consistency of your pesto sauce, you may need to thin out the dressing. Just use a splash of water or milk until the dressing pours nicely.

Three Simple Steps

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Cook the pasta until al dente in a medium pot. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

Step Two. While the pasta cooks prepare the pesto dressing by combining pesto, mayo, and Greek yogurt.

Step Three. Add all the dressing to the cooked pasta along with tomatoes, arugula, spinach, and mozzarella balls. Toss to combine and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.

Tips

Common Questions

Other Recipes with Pesto

• Roasted Turkey Pesto Sandwich
• Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
• Mom’s Lazy Lasagna

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad is a bright and flavorful dish perfect for spring and summer gatherings or even meal prep. Made with spiral pasta, simple veggies, and a 3-ingredient, creamy pesto dressing. This salad is quick and easy to make, satisfying, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes minutes

Total Time: 24 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 443kcal

Equipment

• 1 large pot
• 1 small bowl
• 1 large bowl

Ingredients

For The Pasta

• 12 ounces Cavatapi pasta, cooked al dente, about 8-9 minutes
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup mini mozzarella balls
• 1 cup fresh arugula
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• grated parmesan cheese for garnish
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

For The Pesto Dressing

• 1 (7) ounce jar of prepared pesto, or about 1 cup
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 2 tbsp full-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste
• water or milk to help thin it out

Instructions

• Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and rinse the pasta with cold water.

  12 ounces cavatapi pasta, or use other shapes
• Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add a splash of water or milk if the dressing is too thick. You want it to be pourable.

  7 ounces or 1 cup prepared pesto

  2 tbsp mayo

  2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

  salt and pepper to taste

  water or milk
• Add the pasta along with the other pasta ingredients to a large bowl. Pour on all the dressing and toss gently until well coated. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy right away or place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

  cooked pasta

  1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

  1 cup mini mozzarella balls

  1 cup each of arugula and spinach

  pesto dressing

  grated parmesan

  fresh basil leaves

Notes

Tips

• Don’t over-cook the pasta- Cook the pasta only until al dente. The pasta will soften a bit more after the pesto dressing is added.
• Cool pasta completely- Make sure pasta is completely cooled before adding in the additional ingredients. Because we’re using fresh arugula and spinach, you don’t want the greens to wilt.
• If your pesto dressing is too thick- Depending on the consistency of your pesto sauce, you may need to thin out the dressing. Just use a splash of water or milk until the dressing pours nicely.
• Moisten dry pasta salad- The pasta salad may become less creamy as it sets. Try adding a splash of heavy cream or another dollop of mayo or Greek yogurt to revive the creaminess.

 

Substitutions and Additions

• Pasta- Use rotini, bowtie, large macaroni, or other medium shape pasta.
• Veggies- More veggie options include fresh broccoli, zucchini, red bell peppers, or artichoke hearts.
• Add bacon- For a smoky salty taste add crispy cooked bacon.
• Add Chicken- Add grilled or shredded cooked chicken to complete the pasta for a tasty meal.
• Pesto- Use homemade pesto or your favorite prepared pesto from the grocery store.

 

Common Questions 

What is the best type of pasta to use for pasta salad?

Shapes like rotini, fusilli, penne, or farfalle are ideal because they hold onto the dressing well. Spiral or corkscrew shapes are popular because they grip the creamy dressing.

Can I make this pasta salad without mayo?

Yes! Simply swap the mayo for more Greek yogurt, sour cream, or you can even use finely mashed avocado.

How long does pesto pasta salad last?

This pasta salad with keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in a sealed container.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 409mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1498IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg

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