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"A Bearnaise sauce is simply an egg yolk, a shallot, a little tarragon vinegar and butter, but it takes years of practice for the result to be perfect." Fernand Point

Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts and Mozzarella Pearls

A creamy pesto pasta salad with sweet peas, mozzarella pearls, Parmesan and toasted pine nuts. Fresh lemon brightens the pesto dressing, while basil adds a fresh finish. This is a particularly good make-ahead salad for entertaining.



Servings: 8–10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound fusilli pasta
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup homemade or store-bought pesto
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
  • 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed and divided
  • ¾ cup good-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's or Duke's
  • ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted and divided
  • 1 (8-ounce) package mozzarella pearls
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook until fully tender, 10–12 minutes. Unlike most pasta dishes, you don't want the pasta al dente for this salad.
  2. Drain well and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil and allow to cool completely to room temperature.
  3. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the pesto, lemon juice and ½ cup of the peas. Purée until smooth.
  4. Add the mayonnaise and process again until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
  5. Add the pesto dressing to the cooled pasta.
  6. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, ¾ cup of the remaining peas, 3 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts, mozzarella pearls, salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly to combine.
  7. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
  8. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining peas and pine nuts and sprinkle with fresh basil.
  9. Serve at room temperature.

Tip: To toast pine nuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly golden. Transfer them immediately to a bowl—they can go from golden to burned very quickly.

Make Ahead: The individual components can be prepared one day ahead and refrigerated separately. For the best texture and appearance, toss everything together shortly before serving.

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