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You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Recipes / Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

Published: Jun 5, 2019 · Modified: Mar 10, 2020 by Anna 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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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.

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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 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 511 kcal
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 1.5 cup bow tie pasta cooked according to manufacturer instructions
  • 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1.5 cup fresh spinach
  • ½ cup pesto homemade or store-bought
  • 1 lemon zest
  • ½ 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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Comments

    5 from 2 votes

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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
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Hi! I'm Anna!

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