Pesto Pasta Salad { Easy one-dish summer meal! }

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Pesto Pasta Salad { Easy one-dish summer meal! }

This Pesto Pasta Salad has a creamy, bright basil dressing! It’s so refreshingly delicious!

I add pepperoni and chicken, along with summer vegetables, so that it’s a one-dish summer meal that’s so easy to prepare for my family!

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog! 

Summer is one of our favorite times of year, despite the heat – we get a break from homeschooling and try to just enjoy our free summer days.

This summer, the heat hit early and hasn’t let up, so we’ve been avoiding using the oven whenever possible.

When I do have to turn it on, I do a bunch of cooking at once. I especially love to get a few packs of chicken breasts cooked at once so that I can freeze it all, diced or shredded, for cold meals.

I talk all about that in this post >>> 10 REASONS WHY I KEEP COOKED CHICKEN IN MY FREEZER

When I don’t want to serve a hot meal without turning on the oven, I head to the grill! One of my favorites to grill is our Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs – so moist and juicy and packed with a bunch of flavorful spices! That’s a recipe you’ve got to try!

Yogurt Marinated Chicken | Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kabobs | Chicken Kabobs Marinated in Yogurt | Yogurt Marinade for Chicken | Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kabobs | Yogurt Marinated Chicken Baked | Yogurt Marinated Chicken Grilled

Anyways, back to one of our favorite summer meals, this Pesto Pasta Salad!

You only need a few ingredients to make Pesto Pasta Salad — here’s what they are:

 

Pasta salads are so versatile – you can use whatever veggies you love or are in season! I chose cucumbers and tomatoes because they’re in season and taste so much like summer. 😊

(Plus, we have LOADS of yellow and red grape & cherry tomatoes out in our garden, so this was a great recipe to use them in!)

Chicken and pepperoni together make a great flavor combo, but you could do all chicken or all pepperoni, too!

The absolute BEST part of this Pesto Pasta Salad is definitely the dressing! I am a basil pesto lover, so pesto paired with some creamy yogurt and balsamic dressing ends up SO full of flavor!

I could just dip veggies in the dressing to savor the bright herbal flavor of this dressing!

:: PIN FOR LATER ::

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

How to Make PESTO PASTA SALAD:

Combine cooked, cooled pasta (I rinse mine with cold water when it’s done cooking so it doesn’t continue to steam itself and get too soft, or it will break when you’re stirring everything together) with veggies, chicken, and pepperoni.

  Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Now for that yummy dressing — combine 1 cup of our Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette (just olive oil, vinegar, and spices….you probably have everything on hand for this!) with some plain Greek yogurt and prepared basil pesto.

These flavors combined pack a POWERFUL burst of flavor that makes this so delicious!

 

This pesto is the secret to the amazing flavor of this pasta salad!

Mix those 3 things up for a minute or two until it’s smooth. Go ahead and dip your finger in there to taste it….I won’t tell.

Pour that dressing over the pasta and then toss the salad until everything is evenly coated.

This recipe feeds my family of 7, plus about one serving leftover. 

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Enjoy! And let us know in the comments below when you make it! 😉
Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

 

Pesto Pasta Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

Yield: 8 servings

Easy one-dish summer meal!

Ingredients

Pasta Salad

  • 1 lb. cooked, cooled pasta
  • 20-25 slices of pepperoni, cut into halves or fourths
  • 3 cups cooked, diced chicken (about 4 chicken breasts)
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • fresh basil leaves (optional)

Dressing

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine pasta, pepperoni, chicken, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

For the dressing - In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, combine yogurt, pesto, and vinaigrette and stir until well-combined.

Pour dressing over pasta salad and toss until evenly coated.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves if you like. Enjoy!

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipes Cold | Pesto Chicken Pasta | Pesto Pasta Recipes | Pesto Recipes Dinner | Easy summer one-dish meals | Easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe on the Six Clever Sisters blog!

Here’s another recipe featuring pesto that you’ll love when it gets cold out!  

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