Mediterranean Pasta Salad
Mediterranean Pasta Salad With Pesto is a burst of sunshine on your plate. Refreshing and combined with a fragrant homemade basil pesto.
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 serving homemade basil pesto
- 2 cups fusillotti or any: penne, fusilli, or rotini
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup cup cucumber diced
- ½ cup bell pepper diced
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup bocconcini or fresh mozzarella balls
- 3 tbsps fresh herbs chopped (parsley, basil, chives, green onion)
- olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper
Optional Ingredients
- black olives pitted
- feta cheese crumbled
- parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta according to the package instructions until a minute or two over al dente (pasta type dependent, more on notes below)
- Make the pesto: In a food processor, combine the fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, nuts, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse until the ingredients are well combined. See recipe.
- Combine the salad: In a large bowl, mix the cooked and cooled pasta with the halved cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, bell pepper, red onion and herbs. Toss the salad ingredients together.
- Add the pesto: Pour the homemade pesto over the salad and gently toss to coat all the ingredients evenly. You can adjust the amount of pesto to your taste.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped fresh herbs over the top of the salad for an extra burst of flavor and color.
- Serve: Serve the salad as a side dish for a Mediterranean-inspired meal or as a light, refreshing main course. It's great for picnics or as a healthy summer dish.
Notes
Pesto: The basil pesto is the ingredient and a poor quality store-bought will result in a poor quality salad.
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