Save There's something about the smell of fresh basil hitting warm pasta that makes you forget you're standing in a hot kitchen in July. My neighbor handed me a container of her homemade pesto one afternoon, along with a handful of sun-dried tomatoes she'd been hoarding, and I suddenly had to make something with it right then. This pasta salad was born from that impulse, and it's become the dish I reach for whenever I need something that tastes bright and summery without heating up the house.
I served this to a group of friends at a last-minute picnic in someone's backyard, and it disappeared faster than I could refill the bowl. One person asked if I'd bought it from a restaurant, which felt like the highest compliment in that moment—proof that sometimes the best dishes are the ones you throw together when you're not overthinking it.
Ingredients
- Short pasta (fusilli, penne, or farfalle): The shapes catch pesto and hold onto flavors better than long noodles, and they're easier to eat straight from a bowl without getting sauce everywhere.
- Basil pesto: Store-bought works beautifully if you're short on time, but homemade tastes noticeably fresher and worth the five minutes if you have a food processor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Their concentrated sweetness and chew contrast perfectly with the creamy cheese and adds visual pops of color that make the salad feel intentional.
- Fresh mozzarella balls: They stay soft and delicate when you don't cook them, creating pockets of creaminess throughout every bite.
- Pine nuts: Toasting them for just a few minutes brings out a subtle sweetness and keeps them from tasting flat or one-dimensional.
- Fresh baby spinach: Optional but worth tossing in if you have it—adds earthiness without making the salad feel heavy.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is where you use the good stuff because there's nowhere to hide, and it genuinely changes how the whole dish tastes.
- Lemon zest: A small touch that brightens everything and prevents the salad from feeling too rich after a few bites.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until it's just tender:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add the pasta, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks. Cook for a minute or two less than the package suggests so it stays firm enough to hold its shape when tossed. Drain it through a colander and rinse under cold water until it stops steaming, which stops the cooking and keeps it from turning mushy.
- Coat everything with pesto and oil:
- While the pasta is still slightly warm but no longer hot, add it to a large bowl with the pesto and olive oil, tossing gently but thoroughly so every piece gets coated. You want the pasta to absorb those flavors while it cools.
- Add the vegetables and cheese:
- Scatter the sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, pine nuts, and spinach over the pasta and toss gently so you don't break apart the cheese. The warmth of the pasta will warm everything just slightly without melting the mozzarella into a puddle.
- Season and taste as you go:
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and lemon zest over everything, then taste a small forkful. The pesto already has salt and garlic, so go easy at first and adjust once you know how it tastes. Remember that flavors sharpen as the salad sits and cools.
- Chill if you have time:
- You can eat it right away while it's still slightly warm, but an hour in the refrigerator makes it more refreshing and lets the flavors meld together in a way that's hard to resist.
Save One evening, a friend who usually avoids pesto because she thought she didn't like it ate two full bowls of this salad without realizing what the green flavor was. When I told her, she laughed and asked why this tasted nothing like the sad pesto she'd had before, which taught me that context and freshness matter way more than you'd expect.
Why Pine Nuts Make the Difference
There's a reason this salad feels more elegant than you'd expect from something so simple: the pine nuts add a subtle richness and a gentle crunch that keeps your mouth interested. Toasting them yourself for just three or four minutes in a dry skillet changes everything—they go from bland to almost buttery, and the smell fills your kitchen in the best way.
Making It Your Own
This salad is forgiving in the best possible way, which means you can swap ingredients without worrying too much about ruining it. Fresh arugula works beautifully in place of spinach if you want more peppery bite, and a handful of torn fresh basil stirred in at the last second adds a brightness that tastes like summer tastes.
Storage and Serving Ideas
This salad keeps beautifully in the refrigerator for up to two days, and it's the kind of dish that tastes even better the next day once everything has time to get to know each other. Pack it in containers for work lunches, bring it to potlucks where people always come back for seconds, or eat it straight from the bowl on a night when you don't feel like doing dishes.
- If the salad dries out after sitting, drizzle a little more olive oil and squeeze of fresh lemon juice to bring it back to life.
- Taste it again before serving because cold salads can sometimes lose seasoning—a pinch more salt and pepper might be exactly what it needs.
- Serve it slightly chilled rather than ice-cold so the flavors actually come through instead of tasting muted.
Save This is the kind of dish that proves you don't need hours at the stove to make something that tastes like you actually care. It's become my go-to when I want to feed people something that feels special without the stress.
Recipe FAQs
- → What type of pasta works best for this dish?
Short pasta shapes like fusilli, penne, or farfalle hold pesto well and provide good texture.
- → Can I use homemade pesto instead of store-bought?
Yes, homemade basil pesto adds fresh flavor and allows customization of ingredients and seasoning.
- → Is it necessary to toast the pine nuts?
Lightly toasting pine nuts enhances their nutty aroma and adds a pleasant crunch.
- → How should I adjust seasoning for best taste?
Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optional lemon zest to balance and brighten flavors.
- → Can this dish be prepared in advance?
Yes, chilling the salad for an hour helps flavors meld, but serve soon after mixing to maintain texture.