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    You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Salad / Pesto Pasta Salad

    Pesto Pasta Salad

    Published: Jun 5, 2019 · Modified: Mar 10, 2020 by Anna 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Pesto Pasta Salad - delicious vegetarian pasta salad recipe with pesto, bow tie pasta, spinach and lemon. Perfect to pack into a jar for a picnic!

    Serve this delicious pasta salad with our Easy Grilled Chicken or 2-Ingredient Flatbread.

    Side shot of pasta and spinach in white bowl.

    I am so excited to share this recipe for a pasta salad with you today, as it has been my favorite lunch lately! The flavors are so fresh and delicious - so good on hot summer days. This pasta salad is perfect for summer! It's easy to make (you can make it ahead of time and keep in the fridge) AND absolutely delicious and full of fresh flavors. Pesto, bow tie pasta, spinach, cannellini beans, lemon zest and Parmesan are all you need to stir up this salad. At our house, it replaces the hot and steaming mac and cheese during summer.

    Ingredients:

    • pesto
    • pasta (I used bow tie)
    • cannellini beans
    • spinach
    • lemon
    • Parmesan cheese

    Instructions:

    • Cook pasta and cool completely.
    • Place pasta in a bowl. Stir in spinach, beans, and pesto.
    • Drizzle lemon juice over the salad. Add Parmesan and stir everything together.
    • Serve right away or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Storing:

    Prepare this salad and store in a jar or a container with lid, in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can add the spinach just before serving.

    Side shot of pasta salad with spinach in glass jar.

    More delicious pasta salad recipes:

    • BLT Pasta Salad
    • Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad
    • Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

    If you like this recipe and try it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet ! I'd love to see what's happening in your kitchen! 

    Pasta and spinach in white bowl.

    Pesto Pasta Salad

    Author: Anna
    Delicious pasta salad recipe with pesto, bow tie pasta, spinach and lemon. Perfect to pack into a jar for a picnic! Great meal prep idea for light dinner or lunch!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 511 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1.5 cup bow tie pasta cooked according to manufacturer instructions
    • 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
    • 1.5 cup fresh spinach
    • 1/2 cup pesto homemade or store-bought
    • 1 lemon zest
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese optional

    Instructions
     

    • Cook pasta according to instructions on box. Drain and cool to room temperature. (See notes for refrigerating at this step).
    • Add beans, lemon zest and pesto and stir in until incorporated. Add spinach and gently toss together.
    • Serve immediately or divide into containers.
    • Keep for up to 3 days.

    Notes

    If making the pasta a day ahead, cool to room temperature. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 2 teaspoons lemon juice and stir in. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 1001mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3555IU | Vitamin C: 10.2mg | Calcium: 428mg | Iron: 1.8mg
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

    This post was originally published on June 22nd, 2015 and updated on June 5th, 2019.

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kathy says

      July 09, 2018 at 6:37 pm

      5 stars
      I love cool summer time pasta salads. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

        July 09, 2018 at 11:40 pm

        Thank you so much, Kathy!

        Reply
    2. brenda says

      June 23, 2015 at 2:48 pm

      I love everything using fresh greens ad herbs so this is awesome!

      Reply
    3. Ashley says

      June 23, 2015 at 12:22 pm

      This looks awesome! Such a great idea to pack it up in jars for a picnic in the park!

      Reply
    4. Renee says

      June 23, 2015 at 8:34 am

      I love a quick and delicious lunch you can grab out out the fridge and not have to prepare in advance. This looks like something I could eat every day of the week with only a little preparation a few days before. Thanks for this recipe. I'm excited to try it.

      Reply
    5. Susan says

      June 22, 2015 at 10:00 pm

      Love this grab-and-go concept. Perfect for on the go summer meals. Looks delicious too! 🙂

      Reply
    6. Kristi says

      June 22, 2015 at 8:53 pm

      This salad looks incredible, and I'll be the lemon zest adds such an incredible pop of flavor. I think lemon is such a perfect flavor for summer! It's so surprising how a little bit of zest can take a recipe over the top!

      Reply
    7. Joanie says

      June 22, 2015 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      How perfect for a summertime picnic. I love pesto and in a pasta salad, it's perfect!

      Reply
    8. Patricia says

      June 22, 2015 at 5:05 pm

      Love all the ingredients, and definitely the grab-and-go versatility! The lemony chicken sounds like a great addition, too! Nice dish for the summer!

      Reply
    9. Jessica says

      June 22, 2015 at 4:28 pm

      Pesto pasta salads are my favorite! I can't wait to give yours a try!

      Reply
    10. Stephanie says

      June 22, 2015 at 2:11 pm

      This sounds so bright and flavorful! I'd love a big bowl for dinner 🙂

      Reply
    11. The Food Hunter says

      June 22, 2015 at 2:03 pm

      I could easily eat this for lunch every day.

      Reply
    12. Angie says

      June 22, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      Pasta salad is perfect for summer, love this!

      Reply
    13. Medha says

      June 22, 2015 at 1:28 pm

      This looks deliciously simple! Love the pesto flavor and all the add ins 🙂 Pinning!

      Reply
    14. Kate says

      June 22, 2015 at 12:53 pm

      Girl! The spinach and pesto really make the dish pop, and holy cow I’ll bet this is just amazing with the addition of some lemon. YUM YUM!

      Reply
    15. Kaitie says

      June 22, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      This looks amazing. You could easily make this one night for dinner, and have two jars left over for lunches the next two days for work!

      Reply
    16. Paula says

      June 22, 2015 at 10:21 am

      Love a good pasta salad!This one is perfect for picnicking!

      Reply
    17. Rachel says

      June 22, 2015 at 9:42 am

      Love pesto pasta salads! I love your addition of beans to this one 🙂

      Reply
    18. Kacey says

      June 22, 2015 at 9:33 am

      I have seen quite a few of these recipes and have never made my own! Yours looks amazing and really should be my first attempt (I love pasta and I love light recipes during the summer!)

      Reply
    19. Sarah says

      June 22, 2015 at 7:40 am

      Pesto pasta salads are totally my favorite go-to side dish once cookout season rolls around! This one looks SO gorgeous with all that green goodness!

      Reply

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