Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
There’s was a time years ago, that Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa reminded so much of Mom. The soft calmness in her voice, her demeanor and how she worked her way in the kitchen, and her overall appearance. As some of you may know, my mom recently passed away and I actually had just prepared the recipe for my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad shortly before we had moved her to Wilmington, NC.
This time has been extremely difficult, and I won’t go into details. However, I didn’t want this recipe to be one that was left scribbled in one of my notebooks, so I felt inclined to share it with you.
I’ve made my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad time and time again, and it was adapted from one of Ina’s recipes. It’s absolutely great for family gatherings, potlucks, picnics, and cookouts. It’s not the prettiest salad…but it tastes damn good. I like the natural saltiness that comes from the kalamata olives and cheese and the tastes of the fresh herbs.
This pasta salad is great any time of year and I truly hope that you enjoy it. I definitely think my Mom would have.
If you like this pasta salad, then you may also enjoy my Warm Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Tortellini Salad. 🙂
Get the Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 12 ounces pasta, such as rotini, penne, or cavatappi
- 1 - 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, drained thoroughly
- ¾ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
For the Pesto:
- 6 to 8 sun-dried tomatoes, in olive oil (depending on size)
- ½ cup basil leaves, loosely packed
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oregano leaves
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of red chili flakes, optional
Optional Topping:
- fresh basil
Equipment
- Large Pot
Instructions
Cook the pasta:
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package. Drain and transfer in a large mixing bowl and set to the side to cool until you've mixed your pesto.
Make the pesto:
- Add the ingredient for the pesto to a food processor and pulse all of your ingredients until you have a chunky thick paste. If you do not have a food processor, then you will need to finely chop your sun-dried tomatoes and mix all of your ingredients in well together in a medium bowl.
Make the salad:
- Transfer the pesto into the large bowl and incorporate well with the pasta along with the rest of your other ingredients. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.
- Once you're ready, place into a large serving bowl or platter and enjoy.
