Pesto pasta salad

Name: Salad pasta pesto
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 350 g / 12oz spiral pasta ((fusilli, or other of choice, 3 1/2 cups)); 1 tbsp salt (, for cooking pasta); 2 tbsp pinenuts (, toasted (sub walnuts, cashews, almonds)); 2 cups (tightly packed) basil leaves; 1 small garlic clove (, minced); 1/2 cup parmesan (, finely grated); 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ((or 50/50 grapeseed/olive oil)); 2 tbsp mayonnaise ((S&W, else Hellman's, Note 2)); 250 g (1 heaped cup) cherry tomatoes, cut in half; 220 g / 7 oz baby bocconcini (, drained, cut in half (Note 3)); 1 cup (tightly packed) baby rocket/arugula leaves (40g); 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt; Small basil leaves (, optional garnish)

Recipe video above. Don't skimp on pesto, and don't be shy with olive oil. If you do, you'll end up staring at a mound of flavour-lacking, dry pesto pasta salad, thinking "darn it, I should have just followed the recipe!".PS Just 2 tablespoons of mayo is the secret here. Just g

⏱️ 30 min 🔪 Prep: 15 min 🔥 Cook: 15 min 📊 Medium ⭐ 5.0 (20) 👁️ 20 views

👨‍🍳 Start Cooking

Foto: RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

5 servings

350 g / 12oz spiral pasta ((fusilli, or other of choice, 3 1/2 cups))
1 tbsp salt (, for cooking pasta)
2 tbsp pinenuts (, toasted (sub walnuts, cashews, almonds))
2 cups (tightly packed) basil leaves
1 small garlic clove (, minced)
1/2 cup parmesan (, finely grated)
1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ((or 50/50 grapeseed/olive oil))
2 tbsp mayonnaise ((S&W, else Hellman's, Note 2))
250 g (1 heaped cup) cherry tomatoes, cut in half
220 g / 7 oz baby bocconcini (, drained, cut in half (Note 3))
1 cup (tightly packed) baby rocket/arugula leaves (40g)
1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
Small basil leaves (, optional garnish)

Steps

Cook pasta - Bring 3 litres of water to the boil with the salt. Cook for the pasta packet time + 1 minute. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water. Shake off excess water well, then allow to fully cool and dry.
Pesto - Place all ingredients in a tall jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz under pretty smooth. Not a green smoothie, we still want some visible green bits! but not chunks.
Toss - Place pasta in a bowl, scrape in the pesto. Add mayonnaise then toss well. Add bocconcini and tomato, toss gently just to disperse. Add rocket/arugula and toss just to disperse.
Serve - Transfer into a serving bowl. Scatter with basil leaves, if using. Serve!