Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Store Bought Pesto

Last updated on June 15, 2020

Learn how to make creamy pesto pasta salad with store bought pesto. One of my favorite make ahead salad recipes is this easy pesto pasta. It takes just 20 minutes! Once you try my recipe for pesto pasta salad using store bought pesto, you’ll be hooked. To make this creamy pasta salad, you’ll use penne pasta, pesto, smoked mozzarella, mayo, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Substitute cold tortellini if you’d like!

Watch the video with step-by-step directions on how to make creamy pesto pasta salad at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients for cold and creamy pesto pasta salad

To make this recipe, you need penne pasta, olive oil, mayo, store bought pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, smokey mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.

How to make creamy pesto pasta salad

Boil penne pasta as directed to al dente.

Strain and drizzle with olive oil so pasta doesn’t stick together.

I like to drizzle the olive oil on the cold penne pasta right in the sink. Less clean up!

Combine mayo and store bought pesto.

Mix pesto dressing with pasta.

Add diced sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella cheese.

Stir to combine ingredients. Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Can you put pesto on cold pasta?

I treat pesto like gold. So when I had a few tablespoons of thick, decadent store bought pesto left from another recipe, I wondered: can you put pesto on cold pasta? After some experimentation, I found that using store bought pesto on pasta salad is too thick on it’s own. So I added mayo to the pesto and this recipe for creamy pasta salad dressing with pesto was born.

How do you make creamy pesto salad dressing?

This is an easy pasta salad with mayo. To make a simple creamy pesto salad dressing, simply combine two ingredients: pesto and mayo, until smooth.

What kind of pasta goes with pesto?

A tube or spiral pasta, like penne pasta, fusilli pasta, or rigatoni pasta is perfect for this recipe. These pastas are easy to eat with a fork – even with a plastic fork at a picnic. They don’t require cutting and the pesto and Parmesan easily sticks to them.

Know what else goes well with pesto? Green veggies! Try this Shaved Asparagus Pesto Salad by my friend Laura at A Food Lover’s Kitchen.

How do you make creamy pesto salad dressing?

This is an easy pasta salad with mayo. To make a simple creamy pesto salad dressing, simply combine two ingredients, pesto and mayo, until smooth.

What kind of pasta goes with pesto?

A tube or spiral pasta, like penne, fusilli or rigatoni pasta is perfect for this recipe. These pastas are easy to eat with a fork – even with a plastic fork at a picnic. They don’t require cutting and the pesto and Parmesan easily sticks to them.

Another way to make this salad is with cheese tortellini. See this post on Trader Joe’s pesto tortellini instructions to learn for cooking tortellini for pasta salad. 

How do you cook pasta for cold pasta salad?

Boil pasta as directed on the package to al dente. Immediately after straining, coat the pasta generously with olive oil so the pieces don’t stick together. Work quickly to add the creamy pesto pasta dressing.

What vegetables go with pesto pasta salad?

• Broccoli
• Squash
• Peas
• Artichokes
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Red onion
• Zucchini
• Bell peppers (learn how to cut bell peppers)
• Roasted cherry tomatoes

Cold pesto pasta salad with chicken

If you’re looking to add protein to this pesto pasta salad, chicken is a great option. Check out this recipe to learn how to slow cook a whole chicken in the crock pot. Add the fall-off-the-bone chicken to the pesto pasta salad for a hearty chilled salad.

Making pasta salad for a crowd

This is a favorite easy pesto pasta salad for a crowd. I make it for football games, Super Bowl, and to take to parties. It’s great to make ahead and serve with a main dish like chicken or brisket on this list of sous vide recipes for a crowd.

It keeps for a few days in the fridge, so I usually make a big batch of creamy pesto pasta salad to have for lunch over a few days.

Working from home, I love having a cold salad in the fridge for a quick lunch. Another favorite in my house is this make-ahead Mexican salad with ranch dressing.

Tasty tips and notes for making creamy pesto pasta salad

• You can cook the pasta ahead of time. Cook pasta to a perfect al dente, and be sure to coat it with a little olive oil so the pasta doesn’t stick.
• Use a tube or spiral pasta (penne, fusilli or rigatoni). Or try tortellini.
• Experiment with different ingredients. Add grilled chicken for protein. Try artichokes, red onion, peas, sliced grape tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, chickpeas or zucchini.
• The pasta salad will last a couple days in the fridge. Preserve some dressing to add if the pasta gets dry while storing it.
• Want a low fat option? Make your own pesto and use pumpkin seeds in place of pine nuts. First, soak the pumpkin seads in warm water overnight, then substitute them for your favorite pesto recipe. 

Try these easy salads readers love…

• Mexican Pasta Salad with Chili Lime Dressing
• Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad
• Mexican Salad with Ranch Dressing
• Best Caprese Salad Recipe

Let me know when you make this creamy pesto pasta salad. Be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe. It means so much to hear from Sip Bite Go readers and I love seeing photos of your food! Don’t forget to tag me @sipbitego on Instagram so I can see how the recipe turned out. For more ideas you’ll love, sign up for the Sip Bite Go newsletter.

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Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Store Bought Pesto (Sip Bite Go)

Learn how to make creamy pesto pasta salad with store bought pesto. One of my favorite make ahead salad recipes is this easy pesto pasta. It takes just 20 minutes! Once you try my recipe for pesto pasta salad using store bought pesto, you'll be hooked. To make this creamy pasta salad, you'll use penne pasta, pesto, smoked mozzarella, mayo, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Substitute tortellini if you'd like!

Course Appetizer, lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 553 kcal

Author Jenna Passaro

Ingredients

• 1 LB penne pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese smoked flavor, diced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

1. Boil penne pasta as directed to al dente. Strain and drizzle with olive oil so pasta doesn’t stick together.

2. Combine mayo and store bought pesto. Mix pesto dressing with pasta.

3. Add diced sun-dried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine ingredients. Top with Parmesan cheese. 

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

• You can cook the pasta ahead of time. Cook pasta to a perfect al dente, and be sure to coat it with a little olive oil so the pasta doesn't stick.
• Use a tube or spiral pasta (penne, fusilli or rigatoni). Or try tortellini. 
• Experiment with different ingredients. Add grilled chicken for protein. Try artichokes, red onion, peas, sliced grape tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, chickpeas or zucchini.
• The pasta salad will last a couple days in the fridge. Preserve some dressing to add if the pasta gets dry while storing it. 
• Want a low fat option? Make your own pesto and use pumpkin seeds in place of pine nuts. First, soak the pumpkin seads in warm water overnight, then substitute them for your favorite pesto recipe.  

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Store Bought Pesto (Sip Bite Go)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 553 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 21mg7%

Sodium 455mg20%

Potassium 340mg10%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 16g32%

Vitamin A 460IU9%

Vitamin C 1.8mg2%

Calcium 189mg19%

Iron 1.6mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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