Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Here’s a delicious pasta salad to add to your culinary repertoire. The recipe makes a ton and stores well for several days in the fridge so you can easily make it ahead. The flavor of this salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature - enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pesto https://amzn.to/39rf9YY

• pasta https://amzn.to/3zEj5QW

• pine nuts https://amzn.to/39uAHnB

• Duke’s mayonnaise https://amzn.to/3xQF19Z

• large mixing bowl https://amzn.to/3tBrelc

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Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

makes enough to feed a crowd

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta (shapes that work well are gemelli, fusili, rotini, penne)

• 3/4 cup prepared pesto (about 6 ounces)

• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise (we love Duke’s)

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

• 2 cups asparagus tips, cooked

• 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• Optional: 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

• Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente; drain and set aside until needed.

2. In a very large mixing bowl (6-quart or larger), whisk together the pesto, mayo, and salt.

3. Add the cooked pasta, peas, asparagus, chickpeas, pine nuts, and chives; mix well and serve immediately..

adapted from The Cookie Rookie

Notes

• My favorite store-bought pesto is Kirkland brand from Costco. It’s made with D.O.P. Genovese Basil imported from Italy. But if you prefer to use homemade, check out my recipe here.

• Feel free to use any pasta you like, but I prefer shapes that are 1 to 2 inches in length (roughly the same size of the asparagus tips).

Spinach Salad with Berries and Balsamic Dressing

A few years ago Jaclyn from Cooking Classy shared my To Die For Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting recipe with her peeps. So, today, I’m returning the favor by sharing one of her recipes with my peeps. I’ve done a slight variation by 1) adding blueberries - because I got my hands on the most amazing blueberries from NJ, and 2) I increased the number of candied pecans - because they’re completely addictive and extras are so very good for snacking!, and 3) I’ve included a quick way to reduce the heat of raw onions - because I like ‘em, but I don’t like their bite!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• silat liner https://amzn.to/3d1uE79

• half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3Ju2tNv

• silicone spatula https://amzn.to/3sElK7Q

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Spinach Salad w/Berries and Balsamic Dressing

makes 8 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 cup fruity olive oil (or any mild/neutral oil)

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Candied Pecans:

• 1 cup roughly chopped pecan pieces

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons butter

Salad:

• 10 ounces baby spinach leaves

• 1/2 pound sliced strawberries

• 1/2 pound fresh blueberries

• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese

• 3 ounces red onion, thinly sliced (see notes below)

Directions

To prepare the onions:

1. combine one cup of water with 1 tablespoon of baking soda; stir well until the baking soda dissolves.

2. Use a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife to slice the onions into 1/8-inch thick slices and place them in the baking soda solution for 15 minutes.

3. Rinse well with cold water before using.

To make the dressing:

1. in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the balsamic vinegar to 1/4 cup; remove from heat.

2. Combine the reduced balsamic, oil, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper; whisk until fully combined (dressing will be thick). Set aside until needed.

To make the pecans:

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stir the butter, brown sugar, and pecan pieces constantly until the butter and sugar coat the pecans and the smell of caramelized sugar fills the air (about 3 minutes).

2. Transfer the pecans to a silicone or parchment lined sheet pan, spreading them out into an even layer, and allow them to cool completely.

To assemble the salad:

1. Just before serving, arrange the spinach leaves in a large salad bowl.

2. Evenly distribute the onions, berries, candied pecans, and feta over the spinach..

3. Drizzle some of the dressing all over the top for presentation and serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Notes

• To reduce the bite of raw red onions, soak thinly sliced onions for 15 minutes in a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda per 1 cup of water, then rinse well before using. This method was deemed the best by Cook’s Illustrated:  

  • “… (the) vinegar soak did rid the onions of much of their burn, but it was replaced by an equally strong sour taste, even after thorough rinsing. Milk was also very effective at removing the sulfur compounds, but it left the onions tasting washed-out. The best method—better than even plain water—was our own: a baking-soda solution (1 tablespoon per cup of water). Unlike the other methods, which merely do their best to leach away the offending sulfur compounds, the alkaline baking soda neutralizes sulfenic acid, the immediate precursor to the harsh-tasting thiosulfinates, and prevents them from forming in the first place. Just be sure to rinse the onions thoroughly before using to remove any soapy baking-soda taste.”

• Leftover dressing keeps beautifully in the refrigerator, for up to a week, in an airtight container.

• Be sure to use either a fruity olive oil or an oil with a neutral flavor (canola, safflower, etc). The first time I made this dressing, I used a very bold and peppery Spanish olive oil which overpowered the dressing.

• Feel free to use all strawberries or all blueberries instead of mixing the two.

• If you must, you can use a 2-cup glass measure and the microwave to reduce the balsamic vinegar, but the hot vinegar smell will be very intense so I strongly recommend reducing the vinegar in a saucepan on the stovetop with the fume fan on high.

• To make ahead, store all the components in separate containers in the refrigerator (except the candied pecans - store those at room temperature); toss together just before serving.

adapted from cooking classy