This easy Pesto Pasta Salad is filled with the most flavorful combination of zesty pesto, pasta, sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella cheese pearls, and kalamata olives. Ready in less than 30 minutes, it’s the perfect side dish for picnics, parties, and potlucks.

Cold Pesto Pasta Salad

Cold pasta salads are my go-to come summertime, and this pesto pasta salad one of my favorites. Loaded with super fresh and simple ingredients, from sliced cucumbers to cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella balls all tossed in yummy pesto sauce. It’s the perfect meatless side dish or main dish with grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp.

Ingredients for Pesto Pasta Salad in individual measuring cups and ramekins.

Key Ingredients

Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Pasta: I used rotini, but any bite-size pasta will work. Favorites include fusilli, rotini, farfalle, and shells.
Basil Pesto: Feel free to use your favorite store-bought pesto or make homemade basil pesto.
Cheese: This recipe includes freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese balls called “bocconcini.” Sometimes, I’ll add crumbled feta for a little tangy finish.
Veggies: In this case, you’ll find sweet cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers. Feel free to substitute with other veggies, or add more.
Kalamata Olives: The olives add a nice briny contrast to the richness of the pesto.

Optional Additions:

Protein: Grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, fresh or canned salmon, and chickpeas.
Veggies: Fresh arugula or baby spinach, roasted eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, heart of palm, red onion, and capers.
Cheese: Crumbled feta cheese.

Large mixing bowl filled with basil pesto, minced garlic, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Basil pesto mixed with minced garlic and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Large mixing bowl filled with halved kalamata olives, halved and sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese pearls.

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad

1. Cook and Cool the Pasta: Boil the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water. The pasta should be cooked until tender – not mushy or al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until the pasta has cooled completely, then drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, toss to coat, and set aside.

2. Toss the Pesto with the Salad Additions: Mix the basil pesto, ½ cup of the parmesan cheese, garlic, and black pepper together in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella balls, and olives and gently toss to coat.

Large mixing bowl filled with halved kalamata olives, halved and sliced cucumbers, halved cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese pearls mixed with basil pesto and parmesan cheese.

Large mixing bowl filled with cooked rotini pasta.

Large mixing bowl filled with cold pesto pasta salad made with rotini pasta, mozzarella cheese balls, grape tomatoes, cucumber, and halved kalamata olives.

3. Add in the Cooked Pasta and Chill: Stir in the cooked pasta. Cover with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting lid and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Garnish and Serve: Remove from the refrigerator and toss before serving. Garnish with the remaining ½ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.

Large stainless steel serving spoon filled with cold pesto pasta salad made with rotini pasta, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella pearls, and kalamata olives.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Choose the Right Pasta: Pick a pasta with nooks and crannies to catch and hold the pesto. Favorites include fusilli, rotini, bowtie, and shells.
Salt Your Pasta Water: Your pasta water should taste like the sea. Seasoning the pasta water itself is your chance to season the pasta as it cooks.
Reserve Some Pasta Water: Set aside about a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining the pasta. Use the starchy, salty water to adjust the consistency of your pesto, making it more sauce-like if it’s too thick.
Cool the Pasta Before Mixing: After draining and rinsing with cold water, toss with a little olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. You can also cool your pasta down faster by spreading it out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (this also prevents the pasta from sticking together.

Storage

Transfer leftover pesto pasta salad to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Stir before serving the leftovers, as the oil from the pesto may have settled in the corners of the dish. If the leftovers seem a bit dry, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil or a spoonful of fresh pesto, if desired.

Can you freeze pesto pasta salad? Freezing pesto pasta salad is not recommended as the pasta can become mushy, and the fresh ingredients can lose their texture and flavor upon thawing.

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