This pasta salad is a flexible recipe you’ll definitely want in your back pocket. You can combine all kinds of produce with the right pasta to make a delicious hearty meal. The pesto and greek yogurt dressing is full of herbaceous and fresh flavor that pairs wonderfully with salty cured salami. A light and refreshing meal that still satisfies. Perfect for a hot summer day.
Jump to RecipeWhat pasta should I be using?
Cascatelli is the pasta portrayed in the example pictures. The ridged shape helps hold on to a lot of dressing and it’s very fun to eat. If you can find that specific pasta type that’s great, but it’s not worth a special trip. Bowtie, penne, and rotini pasta all work well and are very common in grocery stores.
What all can go in my salad?
It’ll do you well to view this recipe as a loose guide to pasta salad. Each ingredient brings a different element to the dish that can be replaced or supplemented with another ingredient of a similar type. Substitute arugula for spinach, mozzarella for feta, or carrot for cucumber. The world is your salad!
How to store:
Fully dressed and tossed pasta salad can last 3 to 4 days sealed and refrigerated. To extend shelf life to up to a week store the salad and dressing separately. Toss individual servings in dressing whenever it’s time to eat.
Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
6
servings10
minutes11
minutesIngredients
1 lb pasta
1½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 mini cucumbers, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups arugula
8 oz fresh mozzarella balls
6oz salami sliced thin
- DRESSING
¾ cup store bought pesto
½ cup plain greek yogurt
Jucie from 1 lemon
1 tsp salt + additional to taste
1 tsp black pepper
Directions
- Boil pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rince with cold water to halt cooking. Add to a large bowl along with tomatoes, cucumbers, arugula, salami, and mozzarella
- Add pesto, greek yogurt, lemon, salt and pepper to a bowl. Stir until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Mix salad with dressing, enjoy.
