Can you make this salad in advance?

Yes! You can cook the pasta, prep the veggies and make the pesto a day in advance. Before serving, just toss everything together in a bowl. Just note that the oil in the pesto may cause it to solidify a bit in the fridge so you will need to let it sit at room temperature for a bit before mixing it in with the salad.

Can you use store-bought pesto?

While I love homemade pesto, you can definitely use store-bought to save time and money. You'll want to have about 3/4 cup of pesto for this salad. Just note that the type/flavor of pesto you use will affect the flavor of the salad. Store-bought pesto also doesn't have the same vibrant green color that homemade pesto does.

How long will this salad last?

It really depends on the quality of your pesto and freshness of your ingredients. I suggest enjoying this one within 2-3 days of making it. The pasta will absorb some of the pesto as it sits in the fridge, so you may want to stir a little oil into the salad to moisten it up or even stir in some extra pesto if you have some.

Pesto Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Peppers and Mozzarella

Description

This Pesto Bow Tie Pasta Salad is dressed with a bright, fresh and lemony homemade pesto, and includes tomatoes, peppers and mozzarella pearls!

Ingredients

For the pesto:

1 cup fresh basil, packed
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, raw and hulled
1/4 cup fresh parsley, packed
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juiced
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the rest of salad:

1/2 pound (227g) dry bow tie pasta (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup mini mozzarella balls/bocconcini
1 large red bell pepper, chopped

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Instructions

Make the pesto:

Add all the pesto ingredients, except the oil, to a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are blended into tiny pieces.
With the food processor running on low, slowly stream in the oil so it emulsifies with the mixture. Stop and scrape down the sides as necessary.

Assemble the salad:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. (It’s best to cook it al dente to prevent the pasta from getting mushy in the salad). Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again.
In a large bowl, add the pasta, tomatoes, peppers, cheese and pesto. Toss to combine and serve.

Notes

Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool it down and remove starch so it doesn’t clump together.
Use good quality extra virgin olive oil to avoid a bitter tasting pesto.
It might seem like a lot of pesto for the salad, but some of it will absorb into the pasta, so you’ll need it all.
If you prefer to use store-bought pesto, you’ll need about 3/4 cup for the salad.