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Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
Six tablespoons of mayonnaise blend into the basil-and-spinach pesto, giving it enough body to coat a full pound of farfalle without pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Unpeeled garlic cloves roast or blanch before going into the blender, mellowing their bite. Toasted pine nuts and grated Parmesan add richness, while 12 ounces of quartered cherry tomatoes keep each forkful bright. Serves eight as a side — it travels well and holds its texture for hours without getting soggy.
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Saucepan
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 pound farfalle
- Salt and pepper
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly bruised
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ¾ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup), plus extra for serving
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
- 1Boil 4 quarts of water in a large pot. Drop in the unpeeled garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Blanching the garlic mellows its harsh raw bite. Scoop the garlic out with a slotted spoon and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cool enough to handle, peel and finely chop the garlic.
- 2Stir the farfalle and 1 tablespoon of salt into the boiling water. Cook the pasta, stirring frequently, until it is tender. Scoop out and save 1/4 cup of the starchy cooking water.
- 3Drain the cooked pasta and toss it with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the noodles out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Allow both the pasta and the reserved cooking water to cool to room temperature, which takes about 30 minutes. Cooling on a sheet pan prevents the pasta from turning gummy.
- 4Place the basil, baby spinach, 1/4 cup of the toasted pine nuts, lemon juice, chopped garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt into a food processor. Blend the mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- 5Add the grated Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil to the food processor. Blend everything until completely smooth and combined, then transfer the pesto to a large mixing bowl.
- 6Add the cooled farfalle to the bowl with the pesto and toss well. Pour in the reserved cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously until the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
- 7Gently fold in the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted pine nuts and the quartered cherry tomatoes. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Notes
- Make ahead: You can prepare the pesto up to 2 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent browning.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb the dressing as it sits, so you might need a splash of water or olive oil to loosen it up.
- Swap: If you don't have pine nuts, toasted walnuts or almonds work beautifully in both the pesto and the salad.
Recipe Details
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