Pasta Salad with Pesto, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

5 from 1 vote

Choose fresh, seasonal ingredients for a summer treat!

pasta salad with pesto and mozzarella

In the summertime, eat like the Italians! In Italy in the summer, pasta dishes are served cold and mixed with fresh ingredients. Locals stick to a traditional Mediterranean diet, so most ingredients are all healthy and freshly-picked. In this pasta salad, we combined three popular ingredients: tasty small tomatoes, mozzarella, and pesto made from fresh basil.

Pasta Salad with Pesto, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Pesto is traditionally made in a mortar and pestle, but since this method requires a lot of elbow grease, we simplified the process with an immersion blender. Make your own pesto at home instead of buying it, using fresh, quality ingredients!

Pasta Salad with Pesto, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

5 from 1 vote

Pasta Salad with Pesto, Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Served cold with clean and fresh ingredients, enjoy this healthy Italian favorite for lunch or dinner.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 4 people
Serving Size 0.75 cup
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces whole-grain short pasta like penne, farfalle, fusilli, mezze maniche
  • 12 basil leaves big, fresh
  • 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella drained from its water and chopped

Instructions

  • Over high heat, boil a pot of salted water. When it starts to boil, put the pasta. Cook according to the number of minutes indicated in the package or until they are al dente.
  • When they are cooked, put the pot under the faucet and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drain then set aside in a bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil so that they won't stick to each other.
  • Using an immersion blender, prepare the pesto. Blend the pine nuts, basil, garlic, salt, and Parmesan cheese. While blending, pour the extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
  • In a serving bowl, mix the pasta and the pesto then add the tomatoes and the mozzarella.
  • Serve at room temperature or cold.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 129mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 9
Keywords Diabetic-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

Have you made this recipe?
Tag @skinnyms on Instagram or hashtag it #skinnyms

Here are more delicious salad recipes to choose from:

Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out anything on Skinny Ms.

For more tasty recipes and healthy lifestyle tips, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Pinterest.

We’d love to hear what you think. Leave us a comment in the comments section below.

This post may include affiliate links.

Rowena Dumlao-Giardina

Rowena is a recipe developer and food & travel writer/photographer from Italy with Asian roots. Creating healthy dishes in her own kitchen is priority. She believes there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that her family is eating natural & nutritious meals.

More by Rowena

6 Comments

    1. Chas, You can use two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss in a handful of torn or chopped fresh basil leaves.

    1. Cindy, I would recommend about 1/3 cup for the entire recipe. Or, you could add 1/4 cup and have additional if somone would like more pesto. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating