This Fabulous Pesto Pasta Salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines al dente pasta with a creamy, aromatic basil pesto dressing. Tossed with colorful vegetables like cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumber, this salad is both refreshing and satisfying. A perfect balance of herbs, pasta, and veggies, it makes for an ideal side dish, picnic food, or light lunch. Simple, delicious, and full of flavor, this pesto pasta salad is sure to impress!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™)
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 (4 ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
- 6 green onions, chopped
- 1 (4 ounce) can minced black olives
- 1 (16 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta
- ½ cup pine nuts
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Steps:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, garlic, basil, oregano, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Add the tomatoes, green onions and olives to the bowl, and stir to coat. Refrigerate.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and rinse with cold water to cool. Add pasta to the bowl of dressing, and mix well. Top with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
