Description
Refreshing, easy, and perfect for summer. This pesto pasta salad is so easy to make, and is bursting with fresh summer flavors. Serve it as an entrée, or as a side.
Ingredients
Basil pesto
- 1 batch of my basil pesto recipe (or 1 1/4 cup store bought)
Remainder of the pasta salad
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and de-veined
- 8 ounces short cut pasta
- 8 ounces grape, or cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 2 to 3 ears corn
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls (or mozzarella ball that is cut into cubes)
For garnish
- Fresh basil leaves, if desired
Instructions
- Make the basil pesto: If you haven’t already, make the pesto now (add 10 minutes on to the recipe prep time). You can easily use pesto that’s been made in advance, or frozen pesto that’s been defrosted. I like to add a tablespoon, or 2 of water to the pesto to thin it out a little more for the pasta salad. (Click here for the basil pesto recipe)
- Boil the water: Bring two pots of water to a boil, one large (for the pasta), and one medium sized (for the shrimp). Have your shrimp ready to go. You can either use frozen shrimp, or fresh shrimp/frozen shrimp that’s been defrosted – just make sure they’re shelled, and de-veined.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients: while the pots of water are coming to a boil you can get the remaining ingredients prepped. Slice the tomatoes in half, cut the corn off the cobs (yes, we are eating the corn raw. – so crunchy). And, break up the mozzarella pearls. If you are using a ball of mozzarella, you can cube the ball.
- Prepare the ice bath for the shrimp: Once the water has almost come to a boil, add 2 cups of ice to a medium sized mixing bowl, then, fill up the bowl with cold water. This will stop the cooking of the shrimp, and allow it to cool.
- Cook the shrimp: Meanwhile, once the water for the shrimp has reached a boil, add the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to the pot of water. Then, add the shrimp, giving it a stir. If your shrimp is frozen, cook it for 3 minutes, or until it curls up in on itself, and turns pink. If it’s not frozen, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the shrimp curls up and turns pink – this happens fast with fresh shrimp, so don’t walk away. Once the shrimp has cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the ice bath.
- Cook the pasta: Once the pasta water has come to a boil, generously season it with kosher salt. Add the pasta and follow the package directions for cooking the pasta. You want to cook the pasta to al dente, so cook it 1 or 2 minutes below the recommended cooking time. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the paste trough a colander, and rinse the pasta in cold water until the pasta has cooled off, and is cold.
- Assemble: To a large mixing bowl add the cooled pasta, the cooked and cooled shrimp that has been drained, the tomatoes, the fresh corn, the mozzarella pearls, and the pesto. Gently toss to combine, making sure everything is coated in the pesto sauce.
- To serve: You can serve the pasta salad immediately, or chill it for up to 2 hours. Transfer the pasta salad to a serving bowl, or portion out into smaller bowls, and garnish with plenty of fresh basil leaves, if desired.
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The salad does keep well as leftovers, but only for 1 to 2 days before the tomatoes get kind of mushy.
Notes
Pesto – You can use store-bought pesto, if you are short on time. However, I do recommend making your own pesto whenever you can. It’s so much more flavorful, and easy to make. You can easily make the pesto up to 1 week in advance, or use pesto that has been frozen, and then defrosted. If the pesto looks a little dry stir in a little olive oil, or water, to moisten it back up and thin it out again. You will need 1 1/4 cups of pesto for the pesto pasta salad. (Click here for my basil pesto recipe).
gluten free option – Use a gluten free pasta, if needed.
dairy free option – To make this recipe dairy free, omit the parmesan cheese in the pesto recipe, and substitute 1 to 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Also omit the mozzarella cheese.
other options for shrimp – You can easily sub the shrimp for some cooked, and cooled, chopped chicken – that would be delicious. You could easily use leftover chicken here. Or, you can omit a protein if you want this pasta salad to be more of side dish, and not as much of a meal. This would be perfect for bringing to pot-lucks.
