Parsley Pesto Pasta Salad
This vibrant parsley pesto pasta salad is a must have all summer long. It’s fresh, colorful, and packed with flavor, especially when seasoned with my homemade parsley pesto. You’ll find this easy-to-prepare, dairy-free recipe delivers the best caprese salad vibe.
You may have noticed that people are making pesto with a variety of greens beyond basil. Parsley pesto is naturally peppery and satisfying. If you are a pesto lover then this is going to be your new favorite pasta salad. Serve it alongside the main course or as an entrée. It’s loaded with flavor and always a hit.
We will simply boil pasta, following the packaged directions, and then allow our noodles to cool down before we refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes. Following this, we’ll toss the pasta, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, olives and juicy cherry tomatoes together. Finally, we’ll serve the dish chilled. While serving, we’ll top it off with plant-based feta crumbles and olive oil. Just because it’s cold pasta doesn’t mean it has to be dry, so don’t be shy with the olive oil and use as much as desired.
This pasta salad keeps fresh in the fridge for a few days. You can prepare a meal in advance or make it ahead of time for entertaining. We will not be adding any beans, tofu, or seitan here, but feel free to add your choice of protein, if desired. If you would rather add more veggies to this salad, I would recommend English cucumbers. You can also use gluten-free pasta if you prefer and this recipe will turn out just as amazing.
I encourage you to share your experience in the comments below if you tried this Parsley Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe or made it differently. If you took a photo, please share with me on my instagram account ‘zesty_zahra’ and I will share your stories there. I am always happy to learn about people’s food choices and preferences!
Parsley Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 4 oz Pasta
- Water to boil
- 1 cup Parsley Pesto
- ¼ cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup Red Onion finely diced
- ¼ cup Kalamata or Black Olives diced
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes diced
Toppings
- ½ cup Plant-Based Feta Crumbles or as desired
- ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or as desired
Instructions
- Boil pasta by following the directions on its package. Drain water and let pasta cool down. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- In a medium mixing bowl add boiled pasta, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, olives and cherry tomatoes. Gently toss together.
- Top with feta crumbles and olive oil. Serve chilled.