Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Now that it’s nearing mid-August, I feel summer slowly slipping away, but I’m not going to let it go before I make more summer vegetable salads.  I gave this family-favorite whole grain rotini salad a facelift with the added Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto.  It adds so much flavor, healthy omega-9-rich olive oil, vitamin C packed sun-dried tomatoes and cholesterol-lowering garlic.  Pesto is high in calories, but for all the aforementioned benefits, you can’t beat it for busting the flavor-meter!  This recipe can stand alone as a main dish due to the high protein content of the pasta along with the cheese and vegetables; I combine it with fresh cut summer fruit for a satisfying, simple summer meal.


I’m a fan of Barilla pastas available at most grocery stores.  The yellow box (pictured below) is a multi-grain mix of spelt, barley, wheat, oats, lentils, chickpeas, flaxseed; I really like the taste.  The blue box Whole Grain variety (also pictured below) is a whole grain blend of wheat and oat fiber with no added enriched flours.  Both provide 5-6 grams of fiber per 2 oz serving.  That’s a lot!

Barilla Pastas

Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 10-12 servings

  • Fresh Vegetable Pasta Salad with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
  • 10-12 ounces whole grain rotini (I used Barilla Whole Grain)
  • 3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3/4 cup broccoli florets, blanched and rinsed in cold water
  • 1/3 cup diced red onion
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (bottled in oil)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese,plus 2 Tbsp for garnish
  • 1/4 cup toasted pinenuts, plus 2 Tbsp for garnish
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water; allow to cool. Place in medium bowl. Add tomatoes, broccoli and red onion; toss to combine.
  2. For the Pesto: Combine all ingredients except olive oil in container of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover and process until finely diced. Pour olive oil slowly through the open chute with the motor running to incorporate the oil.
  3. Add the pesto to the pasta mixture; stir to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Top with additional shredded Parmesan cheese and toasted pinenuts.
https://karenmangum.com/fresh-vegetable-pasta-salad-with-sun-dried-tomato-pesto/

3 Comments

  • Allysun Christensen

    Karen so yummy! Made it tonight and we LOVED it! Loving your website! Thanks for sharing.
    Your old neighbor,
    Allysun Christensen

  • Allysun Christensen

    We miss you guys too! So excited to try more of these beautiful, yummy recipes! Let me know when you cookbook comes out!

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