Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Store Bought Pesto

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.

Want to see a cool cooking trick to make super juicy burgers? See these sous vide hamburgers mayo seared to perfection.

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.

It’s so simple to make your own pesto. Check out this recipe for spinach basil 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.

See tips for using store bought alfredo sauce to make a tasty dish for your family. Create restaurant style pasta with alfredo sauce from a jar. Use any store brand.

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
• Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables

More recipes using Trader Joe’s ingredients

Are you a Trader Joe’s enthusiast, too? I love planning grocery trips to Trader Joe’s. It’s almost like a vacation… strolling up and down the aisles to discover new things. When I come home, I’m inspired to develop new recipes.

My best recipes using Trader Joe’s products end up here on Sip Bite Go…

• Cauliflower Rice. Use it in place of bread crumbs in Hawaiian pineapple bbq meatballs and as a filling for cheesy Italian stuffed peppers. Also try it in a vegetable stir fry with cauliflower rice.
• Ready Made Pizza Dough. I’m a huge fan of making pizza at home and have extensive information on how to use Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough.
• Frozen Pizza Crust. Learn how to make frozen pizza crust taste amazing.
• Everything But The Bagel Seasoning. This is super delicious on focaccia bread with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
• Frozen Gyoza and Potstickers. These are great in frozen vegetable stir frys. See my guide to Trader Joe’s chicken cilantro mini wontons or Trader Joe’s vegetable gyoza.
• Frozen Ravioli. Sometimes I just serve it with tomato sauce. Other times, I go a little nuts and make ravioli pizza with store bought Alfredo sauce.
• Spice Kits. Did you know you can buy Trader Joe’s products online? This Trader Joe’s spice kit inspires so many recipes in my house.
• Cheese. The cheese case at Trader Joe’s is undeniably amazing. Use it for potatoes gratin with frozen vegetables, this recipe for baked shells with ground beef, or in potato side dish recipes.

See more of the best meals to make with Trader Joe’s ingredients and my full list of Trader Joe’s must haves.

Are you a foodie, too?

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.