Delicious pestos at Leni & Hans

Ingredients for Italian Pasta Salad with Pesto

• Pasta: Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) or penne are perfect for an Italian pasta salad. You should rinse the cooked pasta with cold water so that the noodles don't stick together in the salad. A dash of olive oil in the cooking water has the same effect.
• Tomatoes: You can use fresh tomatoes in season. Cocktail or cherry tomatoes with their slightly sweet flavor are particularly suitable. We recommend removing the small green stems. In winter, sun-dried tomatoes are the ideal addition to Italian pasta salad. Because they are spicy and intense in flavor, you may need less pesto!
• Arugula gives the dish a great tangy note. After washing, dry the salad in a salad spinner. If you have nasturtiums in your own garden, you can use the leaves and blossoms as an alternative. The peppery taste is excellent and goes well with the Mediterranean flavors.
• Pesto: You can prepare this typical Italian salad with green or red pesto. The quality of the pesto determines the flavor of the salad. Green asparagus pairs wonderfully with red pesto.

Optional ingredients

• Mozzarella makes the Mediterranean pasta salad more substantial, allowing you to enjoy it as a full meal without a side dish. Authentic mozzarella is made from buffalo milk and tastes more aromatic than the cow's milk product. A quick look at the ingredient list will clarify this. Alternatively, Parmesan also goes perfectly with the pasta salad.
• Pine nuts provide nutty, sweet aromas. It is best to toast them briefly in a pan and add them to the salad after plating.

Pesto recipes to make yourself

• Making pesto yourself – Basic recipe and variations
• Basil Pesto
• Wild Garlic Pesto

You can find more pesto recipes here.

What does Italian pasta salad with pesto go with?

The Mediterranean pasta salad belongs on every barbecue buffet. Its savory flavor harmonizes perfectly with pork and beef or grilled eggplant and baked pumpkin halves. A particularly delicious combination is stuffed mushrooms with herb butter and tomatoes. Of course, the Italian classic also goes well with corn on the cob and vegetarian tofu schnitzel from the grill.

Food pairing

• Bread with garlic butter
• Beef steak and bratwurst
• Baked pumpkin and eggplant
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Grilled corn on the cob
• Tofu schnitzel

How many calories are in Italian pasta salad with pesto?

A 150g serving of pasta salad with pesto has around 400 kcal. Adding mozzarella increases the caloric value slightly. Mozzarella cheese contains 280 kcal per 100g.

Shelf life

You can keep Italian pasta salad with pesto in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. The pasta softens over time and the consistency suffers. For this reason, you cannot freeze this Mediterranean salad.