Posted by Calin Denny On 28 July 2021
Pesto pasta salad is a delicious pasta salad that is easy to make and you can use traditional pasta or low-carb pasta, whichever you prefer.
PIN Pesto Pasta Salad for Later!
Made a few weeks ago Low carb Italian pasta salad Using Palmini Pasta, and it has been a huge success. Then I remembered this super easy vegan pesto pasta salad Back in the archives I wondered how it would work with the same Palmini Linguini I used in my new pasta salad recipe. He was the winner! I know the traditional pasta version of this salad has some fans, so I’m just updating this post to give you both options. Make a traditional pasta salad using the rotini pasta you used in the original salad, or make your new low-carb pesto pasta salad using mini pasta; Your choice!
And no matter which version you prefer, if you already have some Basil pesto with lemon or a jar of My favorite Kirkland Basil PestoThis might be the easiest pasta salad you’ve ever made! With the exception of the pasta, the recipe uses pantry ingredients that you might have at home.
What is the difference between the recipes?
Shown above is the original pesto pasta salad made with roti pasta. The only difference between the recipe ingredients is the type of pasta used. However, the salad with Palmini makes for fewer servings because Palmini Pasta is more expensive and I didn’t want to create a recipe that needed two cans! The Palmini Pasta version is gluten-free, and the version with roti pasta contains gluten, but can be made with gluten-free pasta.
What is balamin pasta?
balmini pasta (affiliate link) It is a type of low-carb pasta made with hearts of palm. Her pasta variations include Palmini Linguini, Angel Hair (which looks like fluffy spaghetti), and lasagna. Cara and I have enjoyed trying the Palmini Pasta products, and we really love the taste of them. One benefit they have is that because Palmini noodles don’t absorb the sauce, the low-carb version of this salad stays good in the fridge for a few days!
Should mini pasta be pre-cooked?
After trying several recipes, Kara and I definitely like to cook the Palmini pasta for five minutes in boiling, salted water before using it in the recipe. We feel that precooking gives the hearts of palm a “pasta-like” texture.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe:
How to make pesto pasta salad:
(Scroll down for the full recipe with nutritional information.)
- For any type of pasta, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil with a pinch of salt added.
- To make the Palmini, drain the noodles well and cut them with kitchen shears. (Macaroni roti, just open the box!)
- Cook pasta for exactly 5 minutes for Palmini pasta, or about 9 minutes for regular rotini pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the roasted red peppers well. (I found the peppers in slices already, but if necessary, chop or slice them.)
- Drain a can of black olives and cut them in half.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta well and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Combine pesto and vinegar to make the sauce.
- After the pasta has cooled, add enough sauce to cover the pasta. (You may not need all of the sauce, but keep the rest in case you want to add it later.)
- Combine cooked pasta with red pepper and olives. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
- To serve, mix in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little more sauce if desired.
- Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
- Both versions will keep well in the fridge for a few days if you’re lucky enough to leave out some.
Other ingredients you can use in this salad:
- Marinated artichoke hearts cubes
- Marinated mushrooms, cut in half
- Grilled vegetables of any kind such as zucchini, mushrooms, onions or summer squash
- Fresh mozzarella cheese cubes
More high-carb or low-carb pasta salad recipes:
Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad
Italian sausage pasta salad
Low carb Italian pasta salad
Pasta salad with fried kale, tomatoes, olives and feta
ingredients
- One 12 oz. Whole Wheat Roti Pasta or 14 oz. Can I make a mini linguine
- One 6 oz. black olives box
- One 12 oz. jar of roasted red pepper
- 1/3 cup Newman’s own olive oil and vinegar (see notes)
- 1/3 cup pesto (see notes)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or more
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
directions
- For any type of pasta, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt to the water.
- To make the Palmini, drain the noodles well and cut them with kitchen shears. (Macaroni roti, just open the box!)
- Cook the pasta for exactly 5 minutes for the Palmini pasta, or about 9 minutes for the regular roti pasta. (Check the packaging for cooking time.)
- While the pasta is cooking, drain the pot of roasted red peppers well. (I found the peppers already sliced, but sliced or chopped if needed.)
- Drain a can of black olives and cut them in half.
- When the pasta has cooked through the correct amount of time for the pasta you are using, drain the pasta well and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Collecting Newman’s olive oil and vinegar (Referral link), with B Basil pesto with lemon Or whatever kind of pesto you use.
- After the pasta has cooled for 10 minutes, add enough sauce to coat the warm pasta a little. (You may not need all of the sauce, but keep the rest in case you want to add it later.)
- Combine pasta with sauce, red pepper and olives. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for 1-3 hours.
- To serve, mix in 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more!) and more dressing if the salad seems dry.
- Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
notes
i used Newman’s olive oil and vinegar (Continued link) But any low-sugar vinaigrette will work. If you prefer a different commercial sauce, make sure it has less than 2-3 grams of sugar per serving. I used Basil pesto with lemon For this salad, but you can also use purchased basil pesto.
The usual nutritional information provided is for 4 servings of a salad made with Palmini Pasta, but if you don’t use the full amount of dressing for that smaller salad, some categories will be lower.
Nutritional information for the pasta routine (6 servings):
Calories 242, Total Fat 13, Saturated Fat 2.7, Unsaturated Fat 9.7, Cholesterol 6.9, Sodium 452, Carbs 25, Fiber 2.8, Sugars 2.8, Protein 6.8.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition information:
fruit:
4
serving size:
1
Amount per service: Calories: 243Total fat: 19 gramsSaturated fat: 3.9 gramsUnsaturated fats: 13.9 gramsCholesterol: 10 mgsodium: 677 mgCarbohydrates: 14 gramsthe basic: 4.2 gramssugar: 3.8 gramsprotein: 6.2 grams
Low Carb Diet / Low Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
An easy pesto pasta salad can be either low carb or high carb, depending on which pasta you choose. See nutritional information in the recipe for both versions. Pesto is high in fat, salad dressing, Parmesan cheese, and olives all contain some fat, so this would be a personal choice for the original South Beach Diet. If you ate it in South Beach, the Palmini pasta version will work for all stages and the Rotini pasta version will only work for stage 2 or 3.
Find more recipes like these:
Uses pasta recipes وصفات or salad recipes To find more authorities like this Diet type indicator To find recipes suitable for a particular food plan. you can too Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest To see all the good recipes I share there.
Historical notes for this recipe:
This recipe was first published in 2010 made with regular rotini pasta. Having become a fan of Palmini Low-Carb Pasta, I updated the post in 2021 to include a version made with Palmini Pasta.
Discussion about this post