Pesto Pasta Salad Perfect for a BBQ

One of the kid’s favorite pastas is pesto pasta. I have not been able to make homemade pesto due to the fact that the basil in the grocery stores is close to $3.00 for a pathetically small amount. It’s been devastating. Then we finally went to Lowe’s a couple weekends ago to gather some stuff to plant in our new garden. I found a beautiful basil plant so things are looking up. We also planted tomatoes, cucumbers, hot banana peppers, serrano peppers and strawberries, along with all the common herbs. I am so excited and just hope we don’t kill everything (like we typically do).

In the meantime, as I wait for my basil plant to grow and multiply, I had to buy store bought pesto. It’s not as good as homemade, but worked really well in this recipe. This recipe is great for stretching your pesto to a larger portion- brilliant! In my opinion, pesto pasta (eaten warm or cold/room temp) is one of the best sides for a summer BBQ. Since we were having company over I knew I wanted a pasta to go along with the grilled food since it’s a pretty safe side that most people enjoy. What I love about this pesto is that it incorporates frozen spinach into the mix. Before it mixes with the pasta it tastes kind of like spinach dip. Yum. My kids never suspected a thing! I don’t know why I call it pasta salad- I guess because I like it cold or room temp but if you eat it warm, it will be called pesto pasta. Ok? Whatever the case, it’s yummy.

The original recipe calls for peas to be tossed with the pasta but I didn’t have any. My kids would’ve picked those right out anyway. I wanted to keep this simple for the kids but next time I plan on adding a bunch of chopped tomatoes, basil and fresh parmesan at the end.  Try it soon- it would be great with some veggies mixed in too!

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Pesto Pasta Salad

Recipe modified from Ina Garten

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb rotini or fussili pasta
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pesto
3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
8-10 ounce frozen spinach, defrosted and drained of all liquid
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Basil, Parmesan cheese and chopped tomatoes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil pasta according to directions, drain and toss with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. While pasta is cooking, mix pesto, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice and spinach in a blender or food processor until combined. Toss with cooled pasta. Mix well and season with salt & pepper. Optional: add in some freshly grated parmesan, chopped tomatoes and chopped basil leaves. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve at room temperature.

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I also wanted to link up to some other posts I wrote over at tree.com.

Nutritious Snacks for Your Summer Road Trip

Heart-Healthy Lunches Part 2: Pasta Salad Bowl

How to Get Your Daily Protein

Stress Fighting Foods

Healthy SIdes for your Memorial Day BBQ

Build a Better Salad