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A bowl of pesto pasta salad with corn, olives, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella.
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5 from 3 votes

Picnic Perfect Pesto Pasta Salad

This picnic-perfect pesto pasta salad recipe is full of fresh, enchanting summer flavors! Sweet corn, golden cherry tomatoes, chopped olives, mozzarella pearls and a creamy, light pesto sauce make this pasta salad one of my favorite summer picnic side dishes!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: International
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 481kcal
Author: Genevieve Morrison

Equipment

  • large mixing bowl
  • large pot
  • food processor
  • mixing spoon
  • cutting board
  • sharp knife

Ingredients

  • 16 oz.

    Rotelle pasta

  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup fresh basil leaves - packed
  • 2 tbsp. pine nuts - or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 7 tbsp. parmesan cheese - freshly grated

  • ¾

     cup mayonnaise

  • ¾

     cup sour cream
  • 4 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup mozzarella pearls
  • 1 cup yellow cherry tomatoes - sliced
  • 3 ears corn - shucked
  • 1 cup olives - fancy

Instructions

  • Boil 16 oz. of Rotelle pasta in 3 quarts of water for 10 minutes, strain and run under cold water till cool. About 30 seconds. Pour into a large mixing bowl and stir in 1 tbsp. of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to itself as it cools further. Set aside.
  • Add more water to your pot (enough to cover 3 ears of corn) and bring to a boil. While the water heats, make your pesto sauce. In a food processor, add 1 cup of packed basil leaves, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. pine nuts (or pepitas) and 4 tbsp. fresh grated parmesan. Process until very well combined. 
  • In a mixing bowl or measuring cup, combine pesto with ¾ cup mayonnaise, ¾ cup sour cream, and 4 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar and stir. Set aside.
  • When your pot is boiling, add the corn. Boil for 5-7 minutes. When finished, place corn in cold water to cool it down for about 5 minutes.
  • While your corn boils, chop 1 cup of yellow cherry tomatoes in half, chop 1 cup of olives into bite size pieces, and slice your cooled corn carefully down the sides of the husks.
  • First, mix the pesto sauce with another 3 tbsp. of freshly grated parmesan into the pasta thoroughly. Then, mix in your olives, corn and 1 cup of mozzarella pearls. Finally, gently mix in your cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

This recipe should only be served cold. The pesto sauce is made with sour cream and mayo to make it extra creamy, and you don’t want to heat that up.
If stored in a container with a lid, it will stay fresh for at least a week if refrigerated. Although you’ll notice the “tangy-ness” will diminish a bit after a day or so. To brighten it back up again, simply mix another half-cup of mayo with 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar, and stir it into the pasta before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 511mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 1mg