italian pesto pasta salad

Name: Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ## PESTO SAUCE; 1 cup - fresh basil leaves; 3 clove(s) garlic, peeled; 3 tablespoon(s) pine nuts; 1/3 cup - freshly grated parmesan cheese (it's best to avoid the canned grated parmesan); - salt and pepper, to taste; 1/3 cup - olive oil; ## PASTA SALAD; 1 (16-oz) package(s) penne pasta, cooked and drained; 10 - sun-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil); 1 - red or green bell pepper, roasted and cut in half and sliced into thin strips; 8 spears - asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths; 3/4 cup - sliced olives; 6 ounce(s) sliced mushrooms; 1 cup - broccolini, cut into bite-size pieces

9 Pinches

Vickie Parks

Renton, WA

Updated on Apr 26, 2017

I combined two of my "go to" favorites and came up with this recipe recently when we wanted a quick pasta lunch. It was quite good. You can change the vegetables to suit your taste preferences, but the list of ingredients as listed makes for a rather tasty salad recipe. For a more substantial dish, you can add some chopped up salami or chopped jamon (Spanish ham) to the salad. The recipe makes a fresh pesto from scratch. For more convenience, you can use a commercial pesto sauce. If you do so, then you can skip Step #1 and just move on to step #2 of the recipe roasting the bell pepper.

Rate

No Image

prep time 35 Min

cook time 10 Min

method Stove Top

yield 4 to 6

Ingredients

PESTO SAUCE
1 cup - fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup - freshly grated parmesan cheese (it's best to avoid the canned grated parmesan)
- salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup - olive oil
PASTA SALAD
1 (16-oz) package penne pasta, cooked and drained
10 - sun-dried tomatoes, drained (reserve the oil)
1 - red or green bell pepper, roasted and cut in half and sliced into thin strips
8 spears - asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
3/4 cup - sliced olives
6 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 cup - broccolini, cut into bite-size pieces

How To Make italian pesto pasta salad

Step 1

FOR THE PESTO SAUCE: Pulse the basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese in a food processor for 10 seconds. With the food processor still on, pour olive oil in a steady stream and continue to process for a few more seconds or until well blended. Set pesto sauce aside. (It will keep in refrigerator for up to one week if stored in an air-tight container.)

Step 2

TO ROAST THE BELL PEPPER: Slice the pepper in half vertically (from stem to bottom). Remove seeds. Place peppers cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast the peppers in 450° oven for about 25 minutes or until the skins are wrinkled and just starting to char. Rotate the pan about half way through roasting, for even charring.
Step 3

Cook pasta until al dente, and drain well. Add pasta (while still hot but well drained) in a large mixing bowl. Add all of the cut-up vegetables and pesto sauce, and toss well until well blended.
Step 4

IF SERVING WARM: Place a clean cloth over the bowl and let stand about 10 minutes, to allow the hot pasta and roasted pepper to soften the vegetables. IF SERVING CHILLED: Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

Discover More

Comment & Reviews

Just A Pinch Sweepstakes