Description
A vibrant and customizable pesto pasta salad featuring farfalle pasta tossed with a flavorful homemade or store-bought pesto, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil, and colorful vegetables like cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, peas, and rocket. Finished with a lemony zest and shaved parmesan, this refreshing salad is perfect as a light lunch or a side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 400g farfalle pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 50g pine nuts
- 5 tbsp pesto (store-bought or homemade)
- 10 large basil leaves
- ½ lemon, zested and juiced
- 50g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, shaved
- 100g halved cherry tomatoes
- 50g drained sweetcorn
- 50g peas
- Handful of rocket (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the farfalle pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, then immediately toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent sticking. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool, tossing occasionally.
- Toast the pine nuts: In a dry frying pan, toast the pine nuts over low heat, constantly stirring and moving them around for 4 to 5 minutes until they turn golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Toss the salad: Once the pasta is completely cooled, add the pesto, toasted pine nuts, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped basil leaves, lemon zest and juice, halved cherry tomatoes, drained sweetcorn, peas, and rocket if using. Toss everything together gently to combine well.
- Season and serve: Season the salad with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Scatter the shaved parmesan or vegetarian alternative over the top just before serving for added flavor and garnish.
Notes
- For a vegan version, substitute parmesan with a plant-based cheese or nutritional yeast.
- You can prepare the pesto ahead of time to save time on salad assembly.
- The salad can be served immediately or chilled for an hour to meld the flavors.
- Adjust the vegetables according to your preference or seasonal availability.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 2 days for best freshness.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: pesto pasta salad, farfalle salad, Italian pasta salad, vegetarian pasta salad, summer salad, picnic salad
