Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

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This Basil Pesto Pasta Salad is simply delicious. The combination of a rich basil pesto mixed in with freshly cooked pasta, a variety of fresh vegetables and delicious grilled chicken is such a well rounded meal.

If you haven’t tried a pesto pasta salad, then you are certainly in for a treat. The combination of the ingredients creates a delicious and satisfying meal (soo much better than a plain garden salad). You can easily prepare it ahead of time and enjoy it cold or eat it immediately while it is still warm.

A little trick of mine is to always have an unopened bottle of my favourite pesto in your fridge and when the week gets a little bit crazy, I can easily prepare this scrumptious dish. Plus, anyone can easily prepare this meal. It’s that easy!

Common Questions for Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

• What can I do when I have leftovers?
  • This meal is great for leftovers. I actually usually make a little bit extra so we have a yummy lunch the next day. Just simply place into an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
• Can I make this meal vegetarian or vegan?
  • You certainly can. Just simply remove the chicken and/or feta. You can easily use fried tofu, roasted chickpeas or vegan meat and cheese alternatives as substitutes. Vegan pesto is also easily available in most supermarkets.
• I can’t have gluten, does this recipe also work with gluten free pasta?
  • Sure does! You will just have to make sure that the pesto is also gluten free.
• I don’t like some of the vegetables or pine nuts in the recipe, what else would you suggest goes well with this recipe?
  • That’s totally ok. You can easily swap and change any of the ingredients in this recipe. Some other alternatives include roasted butternut pumpkin, sundried potatoes, steamed peas or even rucola.
  • If pine nuts aren’t your thing, try some slivered almonds or chopped walnuts. You can also removed the nuts if you would prefer or have allergies. It will still taste delicious.
  • You can easily substitute the feta for some freshly grilled halloumi or parmesan if you want to try something different.
• What pasta do you prefer to use?
  • Any pasta type that soaks up the pesto is great- think penne, rigatoni, campanelle or fusilli.
  • A little side note: don’t allow the pasta to cool down before adding in the pesto. The pesto will stick better to the pasta when it is still warm. Just keep a little bit of pesto on the side to add to the dish just before serving.

If you give this recipe a try, I would love to hear about your creation in the comments below. Happy Cooking!

Basil Pesto Pasta Salad

Recipe by jena@jenas.kitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: RecipesCuisine: Italian

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

5

adults

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

682

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• 250 ml 250 Basil Pesto

• 500 g 500 Favourite Pasta

• 500 g 500 Chicken Breast sliced (optional)

• 250 g 250 Cherry Tomatoes sliced

• 2 2 Capsicums sliced

• 4 cups 4 Baby Spinach Leaves

• 100 g 100 Kalamata Olives

• 150 g 150 Feta

• 50 g 50 Pine Nuts

• 2 tbsp 2 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 2 pinches 2 Salt & Pepper

Directions

• Cook pasta as directed by the pasta package.
• Season sliced chicken breast with salt and pepper.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a pan at a medium to high heat.
• Place chicken breast into the pan. Cook until browned and cooked through (approximately 5-6 minutes). Turn off heat and set aside.
• Once the pasta is cooked, take out 1/3 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta. Put back into the pot and add in the pasta water.
• Add in the pesto. Allow to cool slightly.
• Add in the vegetables, chicken and olives. Sprinkle with feta and pine nuts.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

• Leftovers: if you find that you have leftovers, they can easily be eaten for lunch the next day. Place into an air tight container and leave in the fridge for no longer than 2-3 days. You may want to keep the chicken seperated to heat it up when ready to cook. Reheating the whole dish again is not recommended.
• Vegan/ Vegetarian: You can easily make this meal vegan or vegetarain. Make sure your pesto is vegan and instead of chicken, try some fried tofu or baked chickpeas and/or removing the feta (or use a cheese alternative).
• Adding Pesto: Don’t allow the pasta to cool down before adding in the pesto. The pesto will stick better to the pasta when it is still warm. Just keep a little bit of pesto on the side to add to the dish just before serving.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 682kcal
• Fat: 40g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g
• Cholesterol: 104mg
• Sodium: 735mg
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 4g
• Protein: 44g