Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

This healthy pesto pasta salad recipe is full of flavor. The roasted veggies, grilled 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.

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.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Make Homemade Basil Pesto
• What's the best pasta to buy?
• Substitutions & Variations
• More Summer Pasta Recipes
• Storage
• Tips for Making this Recipe
• Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Here are the pantry staples and fresh ingredients you'll need to make this creamy pesto pasta salad.

• Uncooked Pasta (Fusilli or other chunky shape)
• Fresh Zucchini
• Fresh Yellow Squash (also called summer squash or crookneck squash)
• Fresh Cherry Tomatoes (or grape tomatoes) 
• Fresh Sweet Corn
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Ground Black Pepper
• Homemade or Storebought Pesto*
• optional - additional salt and pepper, fresh basil for topping

*Instructions below for making your own fresh basil pesto

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and salt it heavily. Cook the fusilli according to package directions, until it’s al dente. Drain and set aside.

Feel free to run the pasta under some cold water after it's done cooking - this will stop it from getting mushy. Only do this if you want to serve the pasta salad cold or at room temperature though!

Toss the zucchini, squash, and cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of 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. 

Toss the corn with the remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Place it on the grill or grill pan and cook each side for two minutes or until it’s lightly charred.

Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes before cutting the kernels off the cob. 

Combine the al dente pasta with the roasted vegetables, corn, and fresh pesto in a large bowl. Toss to combine.

Add extra salt and pepper if desired and chopped basil. 

Serve warm or cold. 

Make Homemade Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano (or parmesan cheese)
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon pistachios
• 2 garlic cloves
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pine nuts and pistachios. Gently toast them for one to two minutes. Remove from heat. 
2. Combine the basil, olive oil, cheese, nuts, garlic cloves, and lemon juice in a food processor. Pulse to combine then blend till it’s pureed. 
3. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to 6 months. 

What's the best pasta to buy?

The best pasta to buy will have the right shape for the dish you're making, a porous texture that sauce will cling to, and a pleasing flavor.

When we buy pasta, we spend a little extra to make sure it's bronze-die cut (this is the traditional way of cutting pasta) so that it has a coarser texture. We also buy pasta that is made from durum wheat and that looks a bit coarser.

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.

To recap - you want to buy dried pasta that says it's bronze-cut, made from durum wheat, and slow-dried.

Substitutions & Variations

Here are some optional ingredients swaps you can make.

• Onion - you can add slices of red onion or chopped green onions if you'd like an allium kick
• Cheese - feel free to add some crumbly feta cheese, goat cheese, or fresh mozzarella pearls
• Veggies - you can swap the zucchini for canned artichoke hearts or add them as a great addition. You could also add some black olives, kalamata olives, or sun-dried tomatoes to the pasta.

More Summer Pasta Recipes

Want more delicious pasta dishes with summer veggies? Try some of these favorites!

• How to Make Pasta Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes
• Creamy Zucchini Pasta
• Mediterranean Pasta Salad
• Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta

Storage

The pasta salad will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.

Tips for Making this Recipe

• 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.

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