The Fourth of July is just around the corner. For most of us, that means picnics, backyard barbecues and copious amounts of ice cold libations. I don’t know about you, but the last place I want to be on a holiday weekend is inside slaving over a hot stove. Rolling out the grill is a given. But, you’ve got to have something to go along with those burgers and ribs - and it better not require hours of cooking. This Presto Pesto Pasta Salad fits the bill. It’s fast. It’s ridiculously easy. And, it’s full of zesty, bold flavors.
The dressing for this salad simply a mixture of mayonnaise, lemon juice and store bought pesto sauce - the kind you find in the refrigerator section at the supermarket. If you happen to have an abundance of fresh basil in your garden, you can certainly make your own pesto sauce from scratch. It isn’t difficult, but in this heat I’m all about the easy. Plus, once you doctor it up with the rest of the ingredients, I promise, no one will know the difference.
This salad makes a great side dish on its own for whatever you’re grilling. But, you can also punch it up by mixing in some chicken, tuna or tasty little salad shrimp like I’ve done here. Any way you serve Presto Pesto Pasta Salad, your guests will be dishing out the complements!
Presto Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta like bowties or penne
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 each red, yellow and green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup black olives, sliced
- 1 pound cooked salad shrimp, thawed
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
- 1 cup prepared refrigerated pesto sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and toss in a large bowl with olive oil. Add tomatoes, onion, peppers, olives, shrimp and basil. Set aside while you make the dressing.
- Whisk pesto sauce, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Parmesan together in a bowl. Add to the pasta salad mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Serves 8-10.
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Here are a few other side dish ideas for your 4th of July celebration from the SGCC archives . Enjoy!
Easy Italian-Style Farfalle Salad
Thai-Style Broccoli Slaw Salad
Jewels of the Earth Quinoa Salad
Edamame & Heirloom Tomato Salad with Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette
Filed Under: Cooking, Fish and Seafood, Holiday Dishes, Holidays, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Recipes, Salads
Easter Brunch SGCC-Style
On June 28, 2011 at 5:18pm, Maria said...
Pasta salads are so good in the summer time! Love all of these!
On June 28, 2011 at 5:46pm, Margaret said...
ALL of these look so refreshing and perfect for the hot weather we have right now. Have to try that Quinoa Salad and the presto pesto.
On June 28, 2011 at 5:55pm, Rosa said...
Fantastic and so tasty! There’s nothing quite comparable to that combination (pasta & pesto)…
Cheers,
Rosa
On June 28, 2011 at 9:23pm, patsy said...
Fabulous! I love that you can make this so easily from things I already have on hand!
On June 29, 2011 at 1:20am, Katrina said...
This looks amazing! I love the idea of adding pesto to mayo!
On June 29, 2011 at 6:56am, SMIYH BITES said...
For me, it’s ALWAYS about the sides and every. Single. One. Of these salads is a winner! Bring on the 4th!!
On June 29, 2011 at 5:51pm, The Food Hunter said...
Oh my I love those forks…and thanks for all the great side dish recipes.
On June 30, 2011 at 7:22am, debbie said...
Looks delicious Susan and perfect for this time of year!
On June 30, 2011 at 10:22am, Rachel (S[d]OC) said...
Too many pasta salads are bland. I’m glad you found some ways to kick it up!
On June 30, 2011 at 12:03pm, Chris @ TheKeenanCookBook said...
We love pesto. We love pasta salad. Can’t go wrong with this combination! Have a happy 4th!
On July 16, 2011 at 4:21am, Paper cup machine coimbatore said...
That looks so delicious. Thanks for the amazing post.
On August 02, 2011 at 10:15am, Color sorter machine said...
Hey this is just amazing, thanks for sharing such remarkable and outstanding recipe, keep continue with great updates!
On August 15, 2011 at 5:36am, Coffee Sorter said...
Really a great post. I like it and i will share it with others too.
On September 06, 2011 at 7:33am, Camera sorter said...
Really love the blog. It’s adorable!
On September 07, 2011 at 1:28am, Grain cleaner said...
Looks wonderful. Thank you for the recipe you provided.
On September 24, 2011 at 3:14am, Non woven bag machine said...
Yum! I’ve never made this recipe before, this makes me want to try it.
On October 09, 2011 at 10:33am, Men clothing fashion said...
I’ve totally been craving peaches lately. Sounds so delicious!
On October 11, 2011 at 10:23am, Women clothing fashion said...
That looks so delicious! Yum!
On October 23, 2011 at 3:18am, Women tops said...
That looks really good.
On November 04, 2013 at 2:16am, lasagna recipe said...
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