Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Why I love this pesto pasta salad

It’s nothing new, but I’m on a bit of a pesto kick again. I don’t think its I’ll ever get tired of, and I’m always trying new and unique flavors, like my artichoke pesto and my cilantro pesto.

I made a batch of spinach pesto, instead of treating myself to a big bowl of pesto pasta, I decided to try something different. Something with a little bit fall-inspired (hello, cranberries) and a little bit of summer – pesto pasta salad.

It’s inspired by a pasta salad that was on the menu of a restaurant where I used to work years and years ago – one of my favorites to have on my lunch break.

The addition of the smoked turkey is, in my opinion, so unique, and the salad itself requires very little chopping. I even tossed in a few handfuls of arugula for some extra green.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

Equipment

• Large stockpot
• Colander
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Mixing bowl

Ingredients

• Smoked turkey – Always check the ingredients on deli meat. They can be a source of hidden dairy!
• Pesto sauce – You’ll also want to make your own pesto, unless you can find a cheese-free version at the store (if you do, please tell me about it!)
• Pine nuts – If you don’t have pine nuts, or don’t feel like buying them, feel free to swap sliced almonds for your pasta salad.

How to make cold pesto pasta salad

Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta in salted water until it’s just past al dente – add about 1 minute to the cook time on the package. When it’s done drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Chop the salad ingredients. Cube the sliced turkey and dice the onion. Add them to a large bowl with the pine nuts, arugula and cranberries.

Make the dressing. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. You can also do this in the bottom of your salad bowl if you want to save a dish to clean.

Toss the salad. Combine everything and stir to coat the pasta and other ingredients with the dressing. Before serving, adjust the seasoning to taste with salt & pepper.

FAQS and tips for making cold pesto salad

More pasta recipes you’ll love:

• Roasted vegetable pasta salad
• Tomato artichoke pasta
• Italian chopped salad
• BLT pasta salad

Even more pesto recipes:

• Pesto fries
• Roasted red pepper pesto
• Walnut crusted salmon with basil walnut pesto
• Pumpkin sage pesto fettuccine
• Cilantro peanut pesto

Pesto Pasta Salad

• Author: Melissa Belanger
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x
• Category: Salads
• Method: Mixing
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This unique pesto pasta salad features smoked turkey, cranberries and toasted pine nuts with a flavorful, creamy pesto dressing. The recipe is so easy and can be made in only 30 minutes. Serve it cold as a refreshing main dish or as a side for your favorite summer recipes.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the pasta salad:

• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 1/2 pound smoked turkey deli meat, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (about 2 ounces)
• 2 cups arugula

For the dressing:

• 3/4 cup pesto sauce
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 – 2 tablespoon water

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Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente in salted water. After straining, rinse with cold water until pasta is completely cooled.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together pesto sauce, mayonnaise and lemon juice.
3. Add pasta, smoked turkey, cranberries, red onion, pine nuts, parmesan and arugula. Stir until evenly coated with dressing.
4. Refrigerate until serving.

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Keywords: dairy free, easy, pesto, turkey, pasta

Last Updated on March 31, 2021 by Melissa Belanger