Summer Pasta Salad Pesto Tomatoes (Printable)

Al dente pasta tossed with basil pesto and cherry tomatoes for a bright, fresh dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.6 oz short pasta such as fusilli, penne, or farfalle
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Pesto

03 - 1.8 oz fresh basil leaves
04 - 1.4 oz pine nuts, lightly toasted
05 - 1 garlic clove
06 - 1.8 oz parmesan cheese, grated
07 - 3.4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
08 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Salad Components

09 - 8.8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1.8 oz baby arugula, optional
11 - 1.1 oz parmesan shavings for garnish
12 - Zest of 1 lemon

# How To Make:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain thoroughly using a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled. Set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, combine basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic clove, and grated parmesan in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running, gradually pour in olive oil until the mixture reaches a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - Transfer cooled pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add halved cherry tomatoes and baby arugula if using. Gently combine.
04 - Pour prepared pesto over the pasta mixture and toss thoroughly until all components are evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
05 - Transfer salad to a serving platter. Garnish generously with parmesan shavings and lemon zest. Serve immediately for optimal freshness, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you can set a table, making it perfect for those days when you forgot to plan dinner.
  • The pesto tastes bright and alive because you're making it yourself, which feels like a small kitchen victory every single time.
  • It actually tastes better the next day, so meal prep becomes an excuse to eat well without thinking about it.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the pasta under cold water, or it'll continue cooking with its own residual heat and turn mushy by the time you mix in the pesto.
  • Homemade pesto separates slightly when it sits, so if you make it hours ahead, stir it back together right before combining with the pasta—those tiny streaks of oil on top aren't a mistake.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet for exactly two minutes before using them—you'll hear them start to smell toasty and fragrant, which is your cue to pull them off heat because they burn faster than you'd believe.
  • Use a box grater to make parmesan shavings instead of trying to do it with a knife; it's faster, they look more impressive, and you won't end up with a pile of tiny bits instead of elegant strips.
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