Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Mozzarella Pearls
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Zesty pesto, peas, pine nuts, and mozzarella pearls make a flavorful and pretty pasta salad.
Though pasta salad is a staple at every summer cookout, most of them are (forgive me) pretty bad. The usual formula—cold cooked pasta, raw vegetables, and an oil-and-vinegar salad dressing—just doesn’t work well. The key to making a delicious pasta salad is to replace the sharp vinaigrette with a rich and flavorful sauce.
In this pesto pasta salad, zesty pesto sauce mellowed and thickened with a little mayonnaise makes a lovely sauce. Peas and pesto go well together, so I add peas to both the sauce and the pasta. Crunchy toasted pine nuts and creamy mozzarella pearls fill the salad out. Go ahead and make all of the components of the salad a day ahead of time; just keep everything separate and toss together right before serving. The salad pairs well with grilled chicken or grilled flank steak.
What You’ll Need To Make Pesto Pasta Salad With Peas, Pine Nuts & Mozzarella Pearls
The best pasta to use for this salad is corkscrew-shaped fusilli, which has plenty of surface area and groves for capturing the pesto sauce. Rotini is another good option.
For the pesto, I use my go-to pesto recipe, which is in my fridge practically all summer long, but store-bought will work, too.
For the cheese, use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by boiling the pasta in salted water. Be sure it is fully cooked, as pasta firms up at room temperature (you don’t want al dente-cooked pasta for pasta salad). Set aside to cool.
Next, toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until golden. Keep a close eye on them, as they burn quickly, and then transfer them to a plate as soon as they are cooked. If you leave them in the hot pan, they will continue to cook.
Next, make the pesto sauce. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the pesto, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of the peas.
Purée until smooth, then add the mayonnaise.
Process again until the sauce is smooth.
Toss the cooled pasta with the olive oil.
Add the pesto-pea mixture to the pasta, along with the Parmesan, 3/4 cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you’re using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Serve at room temperature.
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Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts & Mozzarella Pearls
Zesty pesto, peas, pine nuts, and mozzarella pearls make a flavorful and pretty pasta salad.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup homemade or store-bought pesto
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 1½ cups frozen peas, defrosted, divided
- ¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
- One 8-oz package mozzarella pearls
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water until fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes (you don't want al dente pasta here). Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, purée the pesto, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the peas. Add the mayonnaise and purée until smooth.
- Add the pesto-pea mixture to the cooled pasta, along with the Parmesan, ¾ cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, the salt, and the pepper. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (I usually add ¼ teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you're using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Serve at room temperature.
- Note: To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Watch the nuts carefully, as they can burn quickly, and transfer them to small bowl immediately after cooking (they will continue to brown in the hot pan).
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The components of this pasta salad can be made ahead a day ahead of time; just keep everything separate and toss together right before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 544
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 591 mg
- Cholesterol: 29 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Are mozzarella pearls the same as bocconcini? If I can’t get mozzarella pearls if I cut cubes of mozzarella, would that have the same effect?
Hi David, I believe that mozzarella pearls and bocconcini are pretty interchangeable, but you could also cut a larger piece of mozzarella into cubes. Hope you enjoy!
I haven’t made this recipe yet but plan on making it this coming week. It sounds really tasty! I’m just not sure about the mozarella balls. Would feta work as well?
Sure! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
This salad is the best pasta salad I have ever tasted!! You’re right, no need to make any other. It looks so pretty too! It is also super easy.
This recipe is absolutely divine & so easy to make. It’s now my favourite pasta salad to bring along to BBQ’s. I love the addition of peas in the pesto! Absolutely genius. Would highly recommend people to make this salad!
Hi Jenn! I’m making this for Easter and I forgot to get the mayo. I won’t be able to get any for Sunday (no last minute grocery pickup times available). Is there anything you’d suggest to replace the mayo? More olive oil and salt? Appreciate your help!!
Hi Kate, I think yogurt will work in a pinch (although I may be weighing in too late to be helpful)!
Not late at all. I have an egg allergy so glad to read about the yogurt substitute as I use an 11% plain Greek yogurt substitute for potato salad, etc. I am going to make this one for my next get together. Sounds delicious!
Love this pasta salad . Will make definitely make this salad again. Everyone really loved it.
I will never make any other pasta salad. I made this for a 40 person birthday party.—tripled the recipe, and barely had any left over. I wasn’t paying attention to the advance preparation directions and ended up adding it all together the day before. No problem—just took it out the morning of the party and let it set for several hours. However, my husband ate the leftovers cold and still thought it was great. Easy dish to dress up by adding some shrimp or lobster.
Awesome, unique pasta salad! Making this on repeat for pitch-ins lately. It does not disappoint
You said to serve room temperature. If you make everything ahead of time and refrigerate, should I let everything come back to room temp before I assemble? Or can it be served cold?
Hi Carol, I like it best at room temperature, but it’s certainly fine to serve it cold if you’d prefer. Hope you enjoy!
I let everything come to room temperature. It was delicious! I even forgot to add the mozzarella pearls, and didn’t miss them. Will add them to what little is left over!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Absolutely delicious and easy!!!!