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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Hi.Made it today and everyone loved. However I have shingles and needed to do some substituting as I couldn’t get to the shop. I used pistachios in the pesto and feta instead of mozzarella. Tasted great. Will definitely try some more of your recipes.
Delicious and oh so easy!
Made this today for a family BBQ and everyone had only good things to say about! On top of that after making the pesto sauce my 3 year old practically was drinking it he loved it that much. The only thing I didn’t have for the recipe was the Mozzarella balls but it was still a delicious recipe.
I made this last night and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was! Served it with grilled chicken and a green salad. Will definitely make it again!
I tried this recipe and it turned out very good! Easy with good summery flavor!! I only wish I had used home made pesto. Your basic pesto recipe has so much more flavor. Also, after boiling the pasta I rinsed it in cold water and then pour some olive oil to keep it moist. Not sure if that was the right thing to do? I did it because as the pasta sat to cool, it started looking a bit “foggy”, so I decided to rinse it in cold water and then added some olive oil to keep the pasta moist.
Please let me know what you think..
And thank you again for another great recipe!
Hi Pooja, Sometimes adding oil to pasta makes it more difficult for the sauce to adhere as the pasta is a little slippery. It probably wouldn’t have hurt here because the pesto already has a good bit of oil but just keep that in mind for next time. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
In a summer cabin with no food processor. Would a blender work?
Thnx
It should work if you have a really powerful blender. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Jenn – What are Mozzarella pearls??!!
Hi Jeani, they are small pieces of mozzarella that are shaped into marble-like balls. If you can’t find them at your store, you can cut a larger piece of mozzarella into cubes. Hope that helps!
Another winner recipe — great flavor and perfect addition to a summer meal. Also delicious leftovers!
This is an absolutely fabulous salad, and I know that I will be making it multiple times over these warmer months. I already have a glut of fresh basil so it was the perfect time to try it. So yummy and a much more sophisticated (and less gloopy) pasta salad to take to family gatherings or just for a nice side to some grilled chicken or salmon.
Thanks!
I love this salad! This time I outlined it with grilled pesto shrimp to bring to a potluck. Subbed in feta cheese and pecans.
I made this for a beach trip side dish and it could not have been better and more of a hit! It is excellent hot or cold and is great as leftovers. It is truly amazing and will be a staple for my family. Your website is my go to for all of my recipes. Tonight our dinner is your Peruvian chicken, Caesar salad (with your dressing recipe) and your red smashed potatoes. Your recipes are amazing! Every time I serve something from your website, someone always asks for the recipe. Thank you!
💕
It doesn’t mention, if you cook the peas? (Just thaw?)
Thanks, Catt
Hi Catt, Yes, just thaw. Sorry for the confusion!
Made this today and it got gobbled up. Delicious. Unfortunately, I didn’t have pine nuts or mozzarella so I left them both out but will include next time (and there will be a next time!).