Description
Fresh homemade pesto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, and arugula – perfect for lunch, dinner, or entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
- 350g spiral pasta (fusilli or similar shape)
- 1 tablespoon salt for cooking pasta
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 220g baby bocconcini, drained and halved
- 1 cup baby arugula leaves
- Small basil leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Bring 3 liters of water to boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Cook pasta for package time plus 1 minute. Drain, rinse with cold water, shake off excess, and let cool completely.
- Place pine nuts, basil, garlic, parmesan, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a tall container. Blend with immersion blender until mostly smooth with some visible green bits remaining.
- Place cooled pasta in large bowl. Add pesto and mayonnaise, toss well. Gently fold in bocconcini and cherry tomatoes. Add arugula and toss lightly to distribute.
- Transfer to serving bowl. Garnish with small basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
Notes
- Toast pine nuts in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden for enhanced nutty flavor
- Make sure pasta is completely cool before adding pesto to prevent wilting the basil
- Don’t over-blend the pesto – some texture makes the salad more interesting
- Add arugula just before serving to maintain its crisp texture and prevent wilting
- Fresh basil makes a significant difference – avoid dried basil for the pesto component
- Bocconcini should be well-drained to prevent the salad from becoming watery
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: pasta salad recipe, homemade pesto, Italian pasta salad, summer salad, make ahead salad, basil pesto pasta, cold pasta dish, Mediterranean salad