This colorful Pesto Pasta Salad features a zippy lemon basil pesto salad dressing, along with bowtie pasta, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and more lemon zest…it’s overflowing with flavor and color and pizazz!
Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta Salad…you know you can’t resist a pasta salad with a name like that. It’s superb and has a unique balance of flavors that complement each other and really pop in your mouth.
This may be my favorite pasta salad ever!
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Pizza Pasta Salad – the easiest pasta salad!
Lots of fresh spring bounty is included in this pesto pasta salad: asparagus, peppers, basil pesto, lemon zest, along with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes.
With a mix of fresh and canned ingredients, you will have to do some chopping–but it’s so worth the effort!
- Basil pesto – you can buy this pre-made
- Fresh lemons – do not skimp on fresh lemons, you will lose a lot of flavor if you do
- Fresh parsley
- Red and green bell pepper
- Asparagus
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – be sure you use high quality olive oil
- Pasta – I like bowtie but you could use penne or even elbows
- Sundried tomatoes – use the julienned tomatoes in oil
- Canned artichoke hearts
How to make pesto pasta salad
Step 1. Start by blanching the asparagus for about 45 seconds. This means you boil the asparagus until just crisp tender, then immediately plunge it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Pro tip: You should have a bowl of ice water ready before the water starts boiling so you can immediately plunge the asparagus into the ice water to stop the cooking process, and then immediately remove it from the ice water and drain well.
Step 2. While the asparagus is cooling, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain it well and put it in a large bowl.
Pro tip: Think outside the box: if you don’t have a large enough bowl to mix the pasta salad in, use something like the lid to your cake carrier–try this one if you don’t have one!
Step 3. Once the asparagus has cooled, chop it into one inch pieces.
Step 4. To the cooked pasta, add a can of drained artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, the chopped asparagus, and peppers.
Step 5. Make the pesto salad dressing: Add fresh lemon juice and zest to a cup of basil pesto, then mix in chopped shallot and garlic along with chopped parsley and about a tablespoon of olive oil.
Whisk together until smooth and then stir into the pasta.
Voila! Try this Pesto Pasta Salad with Easy Baked Ribs, Jalapeno Turkey Burgers, or Brisket and you won’t be disappointed.
And keep it on file for Christmas—with all the pretty red and green, every time I look at this dish I think of Christmas!
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Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup basil pesto
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- Additional juice from 1/2 lemon
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pasta
- 1 lb bowtie pasta
- 1 lb fresh asparagus
- 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 2 cups julienned sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- ½ green pepper, chopped
Instructions
Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together until smooth.
Pasta
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside in large bowl.
- Blanch asparagus for 40-45 seconds. Remove immediately and plunge into ice water, then drain on paper towels. Chop cooled asparagus into one inch pieces and add to pasta. Add drained artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, and peppers to pasta. Add dressing and stir gently until well mixed.
Nutrition
This dressing is adapted from a Rachael Ray pesto pasta salad recipe and is so, so good.
Update Notes: This post was originally published May 28, 2011, and on March 4, 2019, was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, new tips.
Need more help? Check out The New Rules of Pasta Salad.
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Hello! I’m a little confused….does blanching just mean throw it in boiling water? Do the stalks need to be trimmed beforehand?
Ok I’m confused about the amount of lemon. Says 1 lemon zested & juiced (save juice) and below that ANOTHER 1/2 lemon Juiced. Since I’m NOT seeing anywhere to “use the ‘saved’ juice elsewhere in the recipe, I’m thinking maybe that 2nd part meant to say 1/2 the above saved juice? So that the dressing has Zest of a WHOLE lemon but juice of 1/2 lemon or is it juice of 1 AND 1/2 lemons?
Hi Susie,
You should use the juice from 1 and 1/2 lemons and the zest from 1 lemon. Sorry if it is confusing. I will edit the recipe to see if I can make it clearer. Hope you enjoy the pasta salad…it is delicious!
‘So glad you posted the recipe! When I saw the shower post, which was lovely, I was trying to figure out the combination to create this salad.
Oh my gosh, you have to try this! It is so good. Do you have a Costco near you? I don’t have enough basil yet, so I use their pesto and it is wonderful. Hope you enjoy and have a great Memorial Day!