Mediterranean Pesto Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean style Pesto Pasta Salad with sundried tomatoes, olives and a light sundried tomato salad dressing makes the perfect meal or a side dish to any mains. Packed with flavor and easy to make, perfect for salad packed lunches, picnics and the weekend braai (barbecue).

Pesto Pasta Salad one of the easiest Italian summer salads that you can make but if not made properly, it can be just another boring bland salad. To prevent that from happening, I am sharing tips and tweaks and the versatility of this pasta salad so stay tuned throughout the post.

How To Add Flavor To Pasta Salad

• Use a homemade pesto and if you decide to use a store bought pesto, good quality.

• Add this green sauce that takes 5 minutes in a food processor or blende.

• Add your dressing while the pasta is warm so it absorbs the flavors.

• Add salt to the pasta water because salted pasta water equals flavored pasta!

I love adding a quick green sauce (recently updated with my coriander sauce recipe) to pasta. It's convenient especially when you find that you are down or out of basil pesto. You can combine the two if there's a little pesto left in the jar.

A quick green sauce can come in very handy! PLUS, you can use it on vegetables, sandwhiches, meat and add it into sauces and soups.

Pasta absorbs flavors really well but it also absorbs liquid like a sponge so making sure you have enough liquid or dressing is important.

You don't need lots of oil to make your pasta delicious, you can add a number of sauces, pasta water, parmesan cheese, herbs, salt and pepper for flavor.

Here are some sauce ideas that you can add to pasta - Romesca Sauce, Fusilli Alfredo (sauce), Creamy Mushroom Sauce. For even more choices, take a look at my Sauces Dressings and Dips recipe options.

What kind of pasta can I use for pasta salad?

Although fusilli and spaghetti are more popular there are many more pasta types to use. For example; fusillotti, rotella, penne, farfalle, orecchiette are to name but a few. A short pasta and a pasta shape with curves works really well for scooping up the sauce.

Ingredients

Basil pesto: We are using a homemade Basil Pesto Recipe.

Pasta: Any shape pasta works for this recipe especially one with curves or hollow shapes.

Olives: Kalamata are the olives of choice for this recipe.

Sundried Tomatoes: A good quality store-bought if not using homemade.

Garlic cloves: Roughly chopped and into the food processor.

Fresh herbs: A combination of fresh parsley and fresh basil is used in this recipe. Feel free to use just basil but we are using basil pesto so the parsley adds a little balance to the taste.

Fresh Mozzarella balls: Bocconcini (smaller than the marble size mozzarella balls) although any fresh mozzarella will work here.

Feta cheese: I also add another salty element.

Parmesan cheese: My suggestion is to use parmesan cheese in the dressing with the sundried tomatoes rather than Pecorino Romano. Pecornio cheese is much saltier but shavings of this cheese to serve is great!

Hot sauce: This is completely optional and 100% flavor based.

Sundried tomato dressing: Full recipe in the recipe card below.

How To Make This Side Dish

This pesto pasta salad is a fabulous way of anticipating warm weather, picnics and poolside brunches. It's big on flavor and easy to pack.

Cook the pasta: Cook in salted water, drain and reserve a cup of pasta water. Remember that the pasta will absorb the pesto especially if you are not using the herb sauce!

Herb sauce: Get the herb sauce ingredients into a food processor and mix everything together while pouring the olive oil in.

Combine: Pour the herb sauce into the bottom of a large bowl followed by the pasta.

Topping: It's not really a topping but the rest of the ingredients like the chili sauce, olives, sun-dried, tomatoes and cheese. Fold rather than mix.

Pesto: Add the pesto and regulate adding the pasta water gradually while folding the ingredients in.

Recipe Notes

Pesto - Use any pesto that you like but there's nothing to beat the fresh flavors of homemade basil pesto. 

Bocconcini - Are the small (baby) mozzarella balls which are the best option for a pesto salad and most salads. 

Olive oil - The minute the pasta is cooked and drained, while still hot, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olilve oil to keep it from drying out. 

Storage - Refrigerate in an airtight container for 2-3 days (2 days for optimal freshness) and always bring it to room temperature before serving. 

Serving Suggestions

Chicken, small bites of beef and cured meats are all suitable, let's take a look at a few more options;

You can also try seafood with this pesto pasta salad like this Pan Seared Salmon or this Pan-Fried Yellowtail Recipe.

Rotisserie (never to be underestimated) or you can try this Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks or Grilled Chicken Breast

Steak Nibbles or perfect steak like this Pan Seared Steak

For a brunch or picnic then packing it along other salads for variety;

More Salad Ideas

• Caprese Salad (Insalata Caprese)
• Cucumber and Onion Salad
• Greek Salad

Serve it next to this Italian Antipasti for the colorful selection of meat, roasted peppers and tomatoes etc.

More Pasta Recipes

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