Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Basil Pesto
Whip up a mouthwatering bow tie pasta salad with basil pesto in no time. This recipe is packed with fresh basil and spinach and of course garlic and pine nuts. Add some cherry tomatoes for an ideal summer salad. Perfect for busy cooks, you can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow-tie pasta
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Pesto
- 3 cups packed basil leaves
- 1 cup packed baby spinach
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ cup pine nuts (toasted, divided)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 lemon)
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water and drain. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
For the pesto:
- Add basil, spinach, garlic,¼ cup of the pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add parmesan and mayonnaise and process until combined.
- Once the pasta has cooled to room temperature, toss it in a large bowl with the pesto and reserved pasta water. Add cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.
Barbara's Notes + Tips
- Be careful when toasting the pine nuts, they will burn quickly.
- Don't forget to reserve some pasta water, it helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- You can use walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Nutrition
Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 510mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1001IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg
