Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas, Pine Nuts and Mozzarella Pearls

 Servings: 8 to 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 1 lemon
• 1½ cups frozen peas, defrosted, divided
• ¾ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted (see note)
• One 8-oz package mozzarella pearls
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the fusilli in a large pot of boiling salted water until fully cooked, 10 to 12 minutes (you don't want al dente pasta here). Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, purée the pesto, lemon juice, and ½ cup of the peas. Add the mayonnaise and purée until smooth.
3. Add the pesto-pea mixture to the cooled pasta, along with the Parmesan, ¾ cup of the peas, 3 tablespoons of the pine nuts, the mozzarella, the salt, and the pepper. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (I usually add ¼ teaspoon each more salt and pepper, but it will depend on the saltiness of the pesto you're using and how heavily the pasta water was salted.) Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining peas, pine nuts, and basil over top. Serve at room temperature.
4. Note: To toast the pine nuts, place them in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Watch the nuts carefully, as they can burn quickly, and transfer them to small bowl immediately after cooking (they will continue to brown in the hot pan).
5. Make-Ahead Instructions: The components of this pasta salad can be made ahead a day ahead of time; just keep everything separate and toss together right before serving.

Balsamic Summer Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• 8 ounces pasta of choice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
• ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and sliced
• ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese (Substituted shredded mozzarella)
• ½ red onion finely diced
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted

Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (omitted when I made)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper more to taste
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
• 1-2 garlic cloves (optional)

Instructions

• First, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Then drain and let the pasta cool.
• Next, chop the salad ingredients and prepare the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking together all ingredients.
• Then toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat until golden brown. Lower the heat when needed.
• Now add all ingredients to a large bowl. Toss until everything is combined. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure you don't toast the pine nuts using high heat as they tend to burn very quickly. Using medium or medium-low heat is ideal.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 938mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 800IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 2mg

BLT Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

• 10 ounces pasta
• 8 pieces center cut bacon chopped
• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 1 pint grape tomatoes halved
• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• ⅛ cup white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ⅛ cup green onions chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Bring a stock pot of water to a boil.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• Place the wire baking rack inside the baking sheet.
• Place the bacon on the wire baking rack.
• Bake the bacon at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes until the desired level of crispiness is achieved.
• While the pasta and bacon are cooking, use a knife and cutting board to chop the spinach, halve the grape tomatoes, and chop the green onions.
• In a small bowl, combine the nonfat plain Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper with a whisk or spoon.
• Once the pasta is done cooking, use a colander to strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Add the pasta to a large bowl.
• When the bacon is done cooking, allow it to cool and then chop.
• To the large bowl with the pasta, add the bacon, spinach, grape tomatoes, and dressing.
• Stir well to combine.
• Garnish with green onions and more chopped bacon if desired

Cook's Notes:

To make a dinner size salad I used four slices of bacon and 4 ounces of pasta and roughly 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.

Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad with Cucumbers and Olives

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups of dried orzo (I used 10 ounces)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2-4 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 medium English cucumber, diced
1 large tomato diced or 8 ounces of halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of coarse lay chopped fresh herbs; use any combination of parsley, cliantro, basil, dill or mint
1/2 cup of pitted olives
1 cup canned or jarred artichoke hearts drained and chopped.

DIRECTIONS:
Bring a large saucepot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until tender, 6-10 minutes or as described on package. Drain

While the orzo cooks, in a large bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add the drained, cooked orzo to the dressing and mix well.
Stir in the cucumber, tomato, herbs, olives and artichokes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and /or pepper as needed. Enjoy warm or cover then refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.