This Italian Pesto Pasta Salad is a quick and easy pasta salad with few ingredients. This pasta salad is made with pasta, pesto, cherry tomatoes, parmesan, basil and topped with a big ball of creamy burrata cheese.
Save this easy pasta salad recipe for your next barbeque of whip up a batch to go with lunch all week long.
In some ways I feel like I grew up on pasta salad. If my fam was having any kind of barbecue or outdoor party, there would 100% be a vat of pasta salad.
It was usually made with tri-color noodles, blocks of cheddar cheese and swimming in red wine vinaigrette. This is exactly how my Mom made it and I can still picture myself sitting on the side of the pool, sunburned, gobbling up a second bowl of pasta salad.
While I still love this kind of pasta salad, the flavor opportunities are endless!
If you’re in a pinch and need a side dish FAST, pasta salad always saves the day. You need minimal ingredients and you can add in any vegetables that you have. This Italian Pesto Pasta Salad focuses on the bright fresh flavors of spring and summer.
It’s made with fresh homemade pesto, bright and juicy heirloom tomatoes and topped with a creamy ball of burrata cheese. It’s as flavorful as it is beautiful and perfect for making a batch for the week or a weekend barbecue.
Ingredients for Italian Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata
- Bow Tie Pasta
- Cherry tomatoes
- Fresh basil leaves
- Parmesan cheese
- Pesto…See how to make a homemade batch here!
- Burrata Cheese
How to make Italian Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add in pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes or according to package directions for ‘al dente’. Drain and set aside.
- In a large serving bowl toss together cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese and pesto until combined.
- Allow pasta salad to marinate for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to come together. Just before serving top with a torn ball of burrata cheese.
Tips for making great pasta salad!
- Cook your pasta al dente– The last thing you want is a mushy pasta salad. Cooking your pasta al dente will ensure the noodles hold up to the mix-ins and the dressing without getting soggy.
- Make sure everything is bite-size– For any pasta salad (macaroni too!) keep everything roughly the same size cut so that you get a bit of each flavor in each bite.
- Let everything marinate before serving– I like to give the salad at least 20-30 minutes to marinate together and develop before serving.
Other favorite Italian Recipes:
- Italian Melon and Mozzarella Cheeseboard
- Pesto Stuffed Shells with Italian Sausage Marinara
- Frozen Aperol Spritz
- Caprese Proscuitto Pizza
Italian Pesto Pasta Salad
ingredients
- 1 lb dried pasta I used bowties!
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- 1-1.5 cup pesto homemade
- 1-2 balls of burrata
instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add in pasta and cook for 8-9 minutes or according to package directions for 'al dente'. Drain and set aside.
- In a large serving bowl toss together cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese and pesto until combined. Taste test to see if you need to add a bit more pesto depending on your noodle size!
- Allow pasta salad to marinate for 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to come together. Just before serving top with a torn ball of burrata cheese.
notes
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