This healthy pesto pasta salad recipe is full of flavor. The roasted summer squash, tomatoes, sweet corn, and pesto make this a standout summer recipe.

This recipe is perfect side dish or main course for summers BBQs or a picnic and can be served warm or cold.

If you love a summery pasta, make sure to try our homemade pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes, creamy zucchini pasta, and cherry tomato pasta.

Pesto pasta salad with zucchini, summer squash, corn, and cherry tomatoes in a glass bowl with a silver spoon.

This healthy pasta salad just tastes like summer - it showcases delicious produce like yellow squash, zucchini, juicy tomatoes, and sweet corn. You can make your own homemade pesto sauce.

Pesto Pasta Ingredients

Pasta - I recommend using a large chunky shape like fusilli or rigatoni.
Vegetables - use a mixture of summer squash (zucchini and yellow squash), cherry or grape tomatoes, and fresh sweet corn.
Pesto - you can use store-bought pesto (or make your own homemade version). When I buy it at the grocery store, I like to get the refrigerated pesto (not the jarred stuff) - it's fresher and has a brighter green color
Seasonings - you'll use extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to season the pasta.

What's the best pasta to buy?

When you're buying pasta you want to look for the following on the box or package - bronze-die cut, durum wheat, and slow-dry pasta.

Bronze-die cut (this is the traditional way of cutting pasta) might cost a little extra, but it has a better, coarser texture, as does pasta made from durum wheat. Cheaper pasta is usually slippery and not made with stone-ground flour, so it doesn't hold sauce well and doesn't taste as good.

Finally, you'll want to look for slow-dry pasta; it tastes better when it's cooked to al dente.

Pesto pasta salad in a glass bowl with a silver spoon.

Tips for Making this Pesto Pasta

This dish can be served warm or cold and travels well - so it's perfect for a picnic or party.
If you want to make it more substantial, add a few cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and/or a half cup of crumbly feta or fresh mozzarella cheese.
If you do keep the pasta in the fridge, we would suggest serving it cold. The zucchini and squash have an unpleasant texture when reheated in a microwave.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos or leave us a rating.

Pesto pasta salad with zucchini, corn, and tomatoes, in a glass bowl.

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

This pesto pasta salad recipe is a delicious summer meal. It's heavy on vegetables and has a delicious pesto base.

4.71 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 6

Cook Time: 25

Additional Time: 5

Total Time: 36

Servings: servings

Author: Emily Wilson

Ingredients

1 pound dried fusilli pasta
1 medium zucchini sliced into half-moons
1 medium yellow squash sliced into half-moons
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 ears fresh sweet corn
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
½ cup pesto*
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it heavily. Cook the fusilli according to package directions, until it’s al dente.
Toss the zucchini, squash, cherry tomatoes, and corn with the olive oil and half the salt and pepper. Place them flat on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tomatoes have slightly burst. Cut the corn kernels off the cob.
Combine the cooked pasta with the roasted vegetables in a large bowl. Toss to combine.
Add the pesto to the bowl. Toss to combine. Add extra salt and pepper and top with parmesan cheese.