This pasta salad is a clever take on a well-loved soup. Because it's served at room temperature, it makes a great side dish at a picnic or barbecue. It's colorful and extremely flavorful, with pesto, beans, and vegetables.
Ingredients
Serves 8
Step 1
1. Place12 ounces fingerling or baby red potatoesin a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Spread them out on a baking sheet to cool, then slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch coins.
Step 2
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add8 ounces green beans, cut in half,and1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch piecesso they're about the size of the pasta you're using, and blanch the vegetables just until they're bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the hot water with a spider or a strainer, rinse them with cold water, and submerge them in the ice water until completely cool, then drain, pat dry, and set aside.
Step 3
3. Add1 pound gemelli or tubetti (or any short pasta you choose)to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl to cool a bit.
Step 4
4. Toss in the potatoes, asparagus, green beans,1/2 cup pesto, one 15 1/2-ounce can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), one 6-ounce jar roasted peppers, sliced into strips,andsalt and pepper to taste.If preparing ahead of time, combine all of the ingredients 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Leave a Review
Reviews (20)
Back to TopThis salad is fantastic! I eyeballed the quantity of the veggies and homemade pesto. Definitely used more pesto than what the recipe calls for. I think this is one of those forgiving recipes. The only thing I added was kalamata olives for extra punch. This will be my go to salad to take to potluck parties, it's so good.
TiaVia
Belmont, MA
5/29/2022
Loved this salad! I made it with green beans only, roasted my red peppers and made pesto with my garden basil pine nuts and cashew Parmesan, as I eat only plant based. I'm planning on serving this at my Labor Day get together. I wanted to test it first, and it passed with flying colors!!
memorgan
Chappaqua, NY
8/31/2017
Made this dish for a friends BBQ, went down like a treat. I think it will serve more than eight people. Good for any party. Also modified the recipe by adding sundried tomatoes into the mix.
rockstarmerc
London, UK
8/9/2017
A very nice variation on traditional Ligurian pasta pesto. Be careful just to blanch the green vegetables. They need to be crisp to keep their flavor. Pesto is easy to make in a blender and it is well worth the extra minutes of prep time. Supermarket pesto tends to have a peculiar taste and texture which drowns out the wonderful fresh flavors of the dish. I also prefer to roast my own peppers, but the ones from a jar are okay in this. I agree with other reviewers who suggested a little less pasta and fewer green beans.
Anonymous
Washington, DC
6/13/2016
Meh.
MamaSimoni
8/1/2015
我认为这是好的,不够精彩,但它很好and I will make it again. I agree with the tips to use 3/4 pound (or less) of pasta, and it's easy to add things that you like to this salad - sun dried tomatoes, green olives, etc. My tip is that this salad is dependent on the pesto for flavor, so good pesto will make a delicious salad.
krf
Bellevue, WA
7/30/2015
just made this recipe and it was delicious!!! loved it and it is one of those that you don't have to worry about spoiling like mayo type salads. Yummmmmy!!
ConiS
Maine/California
6/19/2015
Yuck! Way yonder too much flavor of pesto. It is basically like eating the stuff by spoonfuls. Do yourself a favor and dress this with a nice vinaigrette. It also wouldn't hurt to roast the asparagus and green beans instead of poaching them.
pjcamp1
Atlanta, GA
8/3/2013
It was a great salad! I would also decrease the pasta to 3/4 lb. I didn't drain the roasted peppers so that little bit of oil helped thin the pesto. We didn't think it was dry. Right proportion of veggies (including the potatoes) to pasta if you decrease amount of pasta.
clc1040
Chicago, IL
7/22/2013
*no potatoes *canned green beans *use sun dried tomatoes *use SDT oil to thin pesto *microwave asparagus in steamer bag *add a little apple cider vinegar about 1 Tbsp. very delicious with the changes I made. Love that it is room temp so no worries about temp spoiling it.
Khrystja
Upstate, NY
7/20/2013
Thought the recipe was delicious! I did modify the recipe slightly,adding more pesto so the salad would not be dry, and I thinned the pesto with a few spoonfuls of the pasta water.
kchanga
San Diego, CA
7/17/2013
I loved the dish! Made an adjustment of my own including using less than 1 pound of pasta, I used 12 oz. instead. When I make it again in the future I will also use less green beans than the recipe calls for and about 1/2 pound more of asparagus. Overall nice side dish that can sit and be served at room temperature. Extremely easy to prepare and tasty!
Lamimi305
Miami,Fl
7/16/2013
I left out the potatoes since the pasta was more than enough starch. My family gobbled it up! Deelish!
LauraRaposa
Scituate, MA
7/16/2013
The dish was dry; the one pound of pasta overwhelmed the other ingredients. It was served at room temperature, per the recipe.
pamelajeanj
7/16/2013
Just curious how a recipe is rated 4 Forks when no one has even reviewed it.
cheri1j
7/15/2013
See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
-
35 of Our Favorite Pasta Salads
These cold noodles and modern pasta salads make the perfect summer meal. -
Our 25 Best Cold Noodle Dishes
These aren't your grandma's pasta salads. -
Our 22 Best Bean Salad Recipes
From tossed with pesto to paired with grains and herbs, here are our favorite takes on the classic summer side. -
Make-Ahead阵亡将士纪念日菜单
This entire Memorial Day menu can be prepped at least a day in advance, and doesn't require a grill. -
The Best Barbecue-Friendly Sides
You'll need at least a few. Here are 13 to choose from.
