Creamy pesto pasta salad is a fresh, easy make-ahead side dish filled with spring vegetables, tender pasta, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, green onions, and a cool homemade creamy dressing. It is the kind of pasta salad that works well for potlucks, cookouts, weekday lunches, and simple family dinners because it can be prepared ahead of time and finished just before serving.
If you enjoy fresh asparagus, this creamy pesto pasta salad is a delicious way to use it while it is at its best. Asparagus has a bright, crisp flavor that pairs beautifully with pesto, tomatoes, and artichokes. Although it can seem a little intimidating if you have never cooked with it before, fresh asparagus is simple to choose and prepare. Once you know what to look for, it becomes one of the easiest vegetables to add to pasta salads, casseroles, skillet meals, and spring side dishes.
How to Choose Fresh Asparagus
- Choose asparagus stalks that are firm, straight, and upright. Avoid stalks that look shriveled, limp, or wilted, as those are signs that the asparagus is past its prime.
- Look closely at the tips. Fresh asparagus should have compact, closed buds rather than open, loose, or seedy-looking tips.
- Check the bunch for even thickness. Stalks that are similar in size will cook more evenly, which is especially helpful when adding asparagus to boiling pasta water.
- Smell the asparagus before buying it. Fresh asparagus should not have a strong odor.
Preparing Fresh Asparagus for Cooking
- Rinse the asparagus well under cold water to remove any grit or dirt.
- Hold each stalk near the end and gently bend it. The woody end will naturally snap off where the tender part begins.
- For this creamy pesto pasta salad recipe, cut the trimmed asparagus into 1-inch pieces so it is easy to mix into the pasta and serve.
Once the asparagus is washed, trimmed, and cut, the hardest part of this recipe is done. The rest of the salad comes together quickly. For the pasta, choose a shape that is easy to pick up with a fork and has plenty of curves or ridges to hold the pesto and dressing. Rotini, bowties, shells, or any similar short pasta shape will work nicely.
You can make this creamy pesto pasta salad with homemade pesto or store-bought pesto. Both options work well, so use what you have and what you enjoy. One helpful detail in this recipe is that the pesto is tossed with the pasta and vegetables before the creamy dressing is added. The pesto gives the pasta flavor and moisture, which helps keep it from clumping together while it chills.
The creamy dressing is added just before serving. This keeps the salad from becoming dry, which can happen when pasta sits too long after being mixed with dressing. Pasta naturally absorbs liquid as it rests, so waiting to add the dressing gives the finished salad a fresher, creamier texture.
This pasta salad can be made the day before you plan to serve it. Cook the pasta and asparagus, rinse them with cold water, then toss them with the tomatoes, artichokes, green onions, and pesto. Store the salad covered in the refrigerator. When it is time to eat, whisk together the dressing, toss it with the chilled pasta salad, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
For a heartier meal, you can turn this creamy pesto pasta salad into a main dish by adding grilled chicken or shrimp. It also works well as a side dish for warm-weather meals, picnics, family gatherings, or an easy make-ahead lunch.
A large colander is helpful when preparing pasta salad, especially when draining both the pasta and asparagus together. After draining, rinse everything with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool the ingredients quickly. This step also helps keep the pasta from becoming too soft before it is mixed with the pesto and vegetables.
Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
15 minutes
12 minutes
27 minutes
8
Amy D
Ingredients
For the Pasta Salad
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1/2 pound asparagus (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts (chopped)
- 4 green onions (sliced)
- 1/3 cup pesto
For the Dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta. About 3 to 4 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking, add the asparagus pieces to the boiling water.
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Drain the cooked pasta and asparagus, then rinse with cold water to cool.
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In a large bowl, combine the pasta, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, green onions, and pesto. Toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, and red wine vinegar.
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Just before serving, toss the pasta salad with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The salad can be prepared 1 to 2 days in advance, but add the dressing shortly before serving.
Nutrition
Love Easy Main Dish Salads? Try These Ideas:
- Sriracha Shrimp Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Tuna Salad
