This post is sponsored by Barilla. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Being from Texas, the summers can get unbearably hot and when that time of year comes around I love to eat this light pesto pasta salad to fill me up without dragging me down.
I am a total sucker for heavy comfort food pasta recipes like baked ziti, but when it is 100 degrees outside I crave something light and refreshing like this easy recipe!
Simple Pesto Pasta Salad
For this recipe, I used Barilla Ready Pasta which cuts down about 10-15 minutes from your prep time. If you haven’t used Barilla Ready Pasta yet get to the store NOW. Each pack of Ready Pasta contains 2 servings of fully cooked pasta, so all you have to do is microwave the bags for 60 seconds, and the pasta is ready.
This pasta has seriously saved dinner multiple times just by being a time saver. It is something I keep stocked in my pantry for times when I need to whip up a quick dish.
Light pesto pasta salad is perfect for a light lunch, a side dish for dinner, or as a potluck item to bring to a BBQ this summer!
It took me about 10 minutes from start to finish, the longest part being to chop the cucumber and tomatoes which still hardly took any time.
Light Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
First, you’ll want to chop your veggies. I made a family sized portion of this pasta so I used about a cup of cherry tomatoes and sliced them in half, but feel free to add more or use less if your family prefers something different.
Then I sliced 1 whole cucumber up and then diced them into smaller pieces. You can also feel free to alter the amount of cucumber in the recipe.
Heat your Barilla Ready Pasta up for 60 seconds in the microwave. I used 3 packages of the Ready Pasta because I wanted to make multiple servings. Each package comes with 2 servings so alter as needed.
Pour your pasta out of the packages and into a bowl, then add 1 jar of Barilla Basil Pesto Sauce, your cucumber, and your tomatoes.
For extra flavor, I added 1 tablespoon of bacon bits too!
My family really loves cheese so we added a full cup of parmesan cheese to our pesto pasta salad. Then to add some protein I used 1 package of Starkist Tuna and mixed all of the ingredients together.
That is it!! An extremely easy pasta recipe that your family will love!
Ingredients:
3 packages Barilla Ready Pasta
1 cucumber
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 jar Barilla Basil Pesto Sauce
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bacon bits
1 package Starkist Tuna
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Slice cucumber and cherry tomatoes.
- Microwave Barilla Ready Pasta for 60 seconds (follow directions on package).
- Pour pasta into a bowl and add Barilla Basil Pesto Sauce, cucumber, tomatoes, bacon bits, and tuna.
- Stir then salt and pepper to taste.
ENJOY!
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