Note: To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat.(I usually add ¼ teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you're using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add the pesto-pea mixture to the cooled pasta, along with the Parmesan, ¾ cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, the salt, and the pepper.Add the mayonnaise and purée until smooth. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, purée the pesto, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the peas.Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water until fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes (you don't want al dente pasta here).Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Mozzarella Pearls.This dish would pair nicely with my grilled chicken breasts or grilled flank steak with garlic and rosemary. (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you’re using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Toss the cooled pasta with the olive oil.Īdd the pesto-pea mixture to the pasta, along with the Parmesan, 3/4 cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Purée until smooth, then add the mayonnaise. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the pesto, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the peas. If you leave them in the hot pan, they will continue to cook. Keep a close eye on them, as they burn quickly, and then transfer them to a plate as soon as they are cooked. Next, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Be sure it is fully cooked, as pasta firms up at room temperature (you don’t want al dente-cooked pasta for pasta salad). If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.” Step-by-Step Instructionsīegin by boiling the pasta in salted water. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. Rotini is another good option.įor the pesto, I use my go-to pesto recipe, which is in my fridge practically all summer long, but store-bought will work, too.įor the cheese, use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. The best pasta to use for this salad is corkscrew-shaped fusilli, which has plenty of surface area and groves for capturing the pesto sauce. What You’ll Need To Make Pesto pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Mozzarella Pearls Go ahead and make all of the components of the salad a day ahead of time just keep everything separate and toss together right before serving.

Crunchy toasted pine nuts and creamy mozzarella pearls fill the salad out. Peas and pesto go well together, so I add peas to both the sauce and the pasta. In this pesto pasta salad recipe, zesty pesto mellowed and thickened with a little mayonnaise makes a lovely sauce. The key to making a delicious pasta salad is to replace the sharp vinaigrette with a rich and flavorful sauce. The usual formula – cold cooked pasta, raw vegetables, and an oil-and-vinegar salad dressing – just doesn’t work well.

Though pasta salad is a staple at every summer cookout, most of them are (forgive me) pretty bad. Zesty pesto, peas, pine nuts, and mozzarella pearls make a flavorful and pretty pasta salad.