• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sips, Nibbles & Bites

A FOOD BLOG

  • Sips
  • Nibbles
  • Bites
  • Desserts
  • About Steven
You are here: Home / BITES / Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

October 25, 2019 By Steven 1 Comment

This Pasta Salad has got to be the easiest pasta recipe I make. Super easy, my Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad recipe has only a handful of ingredients and is made in one pot. Boiling the water and cutting the cherry tomatoes in half are probably the most difficult tasks. This is a super healthy Pasta Salad with whole wheat pasta, Parmesan cheese, pesto, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach, tossed with a quick and easy Pasta Salad Dressing made of lemon juice and olive oil.

I like this pasta salad all year round, the ingredients are readily available in the grocery stores during any season. So please don’t think you can only do Pasta Salads in summer.

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

You’re going to love my Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad:

  • Pasta Salad is a quick and easy weeknight dinner option served hot. With tons of great leftovers!
  • It’s a great meal prep recipe, as a cold side with a sandwich for school or work lunches
  • No potluck, picnic, or cookout is complete without a good pasta salad.
  • Leftovers galore! Pasta Salad is my blood sugar crash go-to for a pick me up, there’s pretty much nothing better than leftover Pasta Salad!
  • Seriously, is there anything my Pesto Parmesan Pasta salad can’t do?

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

Can this Pasta Salad recipe be modified? Absolutely!

Pretty much the only requirements for this Pasta Salad are the pesto, Parmesan cheese, and pasta, the rest of the ingredients can be added to, subtracted or changed completely. I always use a shaped pasta, something with a lot of nooks and crannies to hold onto the pesto and Pasta Salad Dressing, nothing worse than a dry Pasta Salad! Cook the pasta for the shortest amount of time the manufacturer suggests, you want the pasta al dente as it will continue to absorb moisture in the refrigerator. If you cook the pasta too long, it will be mushy after one or two days.

  • Please, please, please experiment with this recipe! I love to make it with fresh asparagus, arugula, olives, roast chicken, pepperoni, sausage, mozzarella, artichoke hearts, etc. etc. Any combination of ingredients you can think of in a pasta dish or even as a pizza topping will be amazing in a pasta salad.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, my Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad is a regular thing at our house.

Here is my Pasta Salad recipe:

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad recipe has only a handful of ingredients and is made in one pot. Boiling the water and cutting the cherry tomatoes in half are probably the most difficult tasks. This is a super healthy Pasta Salad with whole wheat pasta, Parmesan cheese, pesto, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach, tossed with a quick and easy Pasta Salad Dressing made of lemon juice and olive oil.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
I would be so happy if you followed me on Pinterest!Follow @SipsNibblesBites
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta, pasta salad, pesto
Servings: 8
Calories: 510kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound Pasta Fusilli or Rotini are my favorites
  • 4-5 Cups Fresh Broccoli Florets
  • 2 Cups Cherry Tomatoes Halved
  • 5 Ounces Baby Spinach
  • 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Cup Pesto Sauce
  • 2 Teaspoons Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Lemon Zest and juice
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley Chopped

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt well, it should taste like the ocean
  • Set aside pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and spinach
  • Combine all of the other ingredients in a large bowl, mix well to create the dressing, add spinach and tomatoes, toss to coat
  • Add pasta, cook according to manufacturer’s instructions, cook to al dente, do not over cook
  • Add the broccoli to the pasta water at the last minute of cooking. Cook for one minute. Drain the pasta and broccoli, and add to the dressing. Toss well. The heat from the pasta and broccoli will cook the tomatoes and wilt the spinach. The hot pasta will absorb the dressing.
  • Refrigerate, overnight is best
  • NOTE: Some pasta will absorb more moisture than others. If dry, make another small amount of Pasta Salad dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil + juice from 1-lemon
Nutrition Facts
Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 510 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 1012mg44%
Potassium 523mg15%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 3512IU70%
Vitamin C 71mg86%
Calcium 188mg19%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

NOTE: Some pasta will absorb more moisture than others. If dry, make another small amount of Pasta Salad dressing:

  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil
  • 1 Lemon, juice only

Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad

Thank you for visiting my Food Blog. I hope you enjoy my Pasta Salad recipe. Please come back again soon! Bon appetit, Steven

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn

Like this:

Like Loading...

Filed Under: BITES Tagged With: best pasta salad, easy pasta salad, healthy pasta salad, italian pasta salad, Pasta Salad, pasta salad dressing, Pesto Parmesan Pasta Salad, vegetarian pasta salad

Previous Post: « Tarragon Roast Chicken
Next Post: Homemade Cranberry Sauce »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. EVE GRZADZINSKI GREY

    October 25, 2019 at 9:06 am

    Would you be interested in being a guest blogger for FoodandForks.com showcasing some of your holiday recipes? I’d be so excited to have you join me?

    Loading...
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Translate To Any Language

Follow Me!!!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Layered Chili Con Queso | Bob Armstrong Dip
  • Chocolate Pecan Pumpkin Bread
  • Hummingbird Food Recipe
  • Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes
  • Ginger Sage Butternut Squash Soup
  • West Texas Ranch Water
  • Cuban Mojo Chicken
  • Standing Rib Roast
  • Herb Buttermilk Marinated Turkey Breast
  • My Mom’s Cornbread Dressing

Go To The Blog

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

About me

Hi, my name is Steven Thompson welcome to my Food Blog. I am a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City where I studied Pastry Arts. Throughout the years, I've worked in some of the best restaurants and hotels in the world. Although I have moved on from the world of the professional kitchen, I still have a great love and passion for cooking and food photography, which is why I've become a food blogger. I hope you enjoy reading and making some of these recipes as much as I do. Cheers and bon appetit! Read More…

Steven: View My Blog Posts

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright Steven Thompson© 2025 · Foodie Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

%d