Make your summer cookouts even more delicious with this Gluten-Free Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe! Simply toss your favorite gluten-free pasta with homemade or store-bought pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and pine nuts. Whether served as a side dish or a main entrée, this quick and easy pasta dish is sure to be a hit!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients
- Optional Additions
- Make It A Meal
- Instructions
- How to Serve Gluten-Free Pasta Salad
- Top Recipe Tips
- How Long Will Pasta Salad Keep At Room Temperature?
- How Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?
- Recipe FAQs
- More Gluten-Free Summer Side Dish Recipes
- Join My Newsletter!
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- Recipe
- Comments and Ratings
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light and fresh! Even better with fresh garden tomatoes and basil.
- Easiest pasta salad to make in under 30 minutes!
- Perfect summer pasta salad for gluten-free potlucks and cookouts.
- Add a protein like grilled chicken or canned chickpeas to make it an option for easy lunches or dinners.
If you thought this was a good pasta salad, check out my gluten-free Italian pasta salad and gluten-free caprese pasta salad recipes as well!
Simple Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Pasta: I highly recommend Barilla gluten-free rotini pasta for this recipe; it tends to stay intact and soft, as compared to some other gluten-free pastas. You can use your favorite pasta, just be sure to use one that tends to be more sturdy after cooking. If you know the pasta is mushy and falls apart, it will do the same in this dish.
You could make some fresh gluten-free pasta in your favorite extruded shape for this recipe if you wanted to go that extra mile!
I would personally avoid Banza pasta because it has quite the strong flavor since it is made solely with chickpeas. - Fresh Basil Pesto: You can use store-bought or this easy homemade pesto sauce recipe. If using store-bought, be sure to check the ingredients to ensure the pesto is gluten-free. I used a refrigerated pesto sauce from the grocery store. I also have a pesto recipe without pine nuts if you need a nut-free option.
- Fresh Mozzarella Pearls: Find this in the specialty cheese case at the grocery store. If you can't find mozzarella pearls, dice a fresh mozzarella ball into bite sized pieces.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly shredded parmesan cheese, not the stuff in the green can.
- Fresh Cherry Tomatoes: Use cherry or grape tomatoes if possible. They are the perfect bite size tomato. Larger tomatoes would also work. Dice them into bite size pieces and remove any watery parts or seeds. Above all, a ripe, sweet tomato is key.
- Pine nuts: Since pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, adding a few extra to the dish complements the flavors and adds a nice texture. You can omit if desired. A good substitute might be some chopped walnuts.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: This is mainly for garnish. If you can't find fresh basil leaves, you could substitute freeze-dried chopped basil or omit completely.
*See recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Optional Additions
Want to jazz up your gluten free pesto pasta salad a little more? Try one or a few these suggestions:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Sliced black olives or Kalamata olives
- Diced red peppers
- Diced artichoke hearts
- Finely sliced red onion
- A dash of red pepper flakes
Make It A Meal
To transform this pesto pasta salad into a satisfying main dish, consider adding some protein to make it more satiating. You could toss in diced grilled chicken or mix in a can of drained cannellini beans or chickpeas for an extra boost of protein and flavor. Check out this easy pesto cream sauce recipe; it's a slight variation on this and so, so good!
For a perfect side dish option, pair this pasta salad with grilled Italian marinated chicken or gluten-free crispy chicken cutlets. The combination of flavors will pair perfectly together.
Accompany the pesto pasta salad with a simple green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette or lemon dressing for a refreshing crunch.
Serve the salad alongside crusty gluten-free sourdough bread or gluten-free garlic bread to round out the meal.
Need more dinner inspiration? Check out my gluten-free ground chicken recipes.
Instructions
Cook gluten-free pasta according to the package directions in a large pot of salted water. Drain the al dente pasta and rinse with cold water.
Place the cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the pesto sauce, tomatoes, cheeses, and pine nuts. Toss gently to combine. Garnish with torn, fresh basil leaves and extra parmesan cheese.
How to Serve Gluten-Free Pasta Salad
We need to have a real conversation about the limitations of gluten-free pasta salad. Sure, we all love (or used to love) a cold pasta salad, but let's face it; gluten-free pasta firms up when it's cold.
If you want to serve this chilled, I would recommend cooking your pasta two minutes longer than the package directions state. While this can help alleviate some texture issues, you may find you still don't like the texture of cold, refrigerated gluten-free pasta.
If that's the case, simply make and serve this pasta at room temperature. Personally, I find you get the best results when you serve this pasta shortly after you mix it all together.
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Top Recipe Tips
- The brand of gluten-free pasta makes a difference! Some gluten-free pastas tend to crumble apart after cooking, others have strong flavors that could over power the dish. Stick with rice or rice and corn based pastas if possible, avoiding lentil or chickpea pasta due to their strong flavor. I prefer Barilla gluten-free pasta for this dish.
- Serve room temperature. Consider making this pasta salad just before serving and serve at room temperature. This will ensure the softest pasta.
- Add more pesto. The longer the salad sits, the pasta tends to soak up the pesto, so having a little extra on hand never hurts! You can add more pesto sauce until your desired tastes!
How Long Will Pasta Salad Keep At Room Temperature?
Two Hour Rule: This pasta salad can be left out at room temperature up to 2 hours. When temperatures are above 90° F you should not leave the salad out longer than 1 hour.
How Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?
Here are some suggestions for prepping this recipe ahead of a potluck or party:
- Prep your ingredients as needed but keep them separated. There aren't too many ingredients to prep; make your homemade pesto, slice the tomatoes, and toast the pine nuts, if desired.
- Wait to cook the pasta until just before serving.
- If you'd like to boil the pasta in advance and refrigerate it, run the pasta under some boiling or hot water to soften it up again before tossing it with the remaining ingredients.
- Store any prepped ingredients in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the dish.
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at most 3-4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Gluten-free pasta's tendency to become hard in the refrigerator can be attributed to a process called starch retrogradation. This phenomenon involves the crystallization of starch molecules, particularly prevalent in pasta made from rice or corn flour, which are common gluten-free alternatives. Since these flours lack gluten, which typically helps retain moisture and maintain a softer texture, the starch molecules in gluten-free pasta are more prone to crystallizing and forming a firmer consistency when cooled.
Traditional pesto sauce is made with basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil; these ingredients are typically gluten-free. However, for store-bought pesto it's essential to check the ingredients label to ensure there are no gluten-containing ingredients or cross-contamination during production. If you're preparing homemade pesto, use gluten-free ingredients and avoid cross-contact in the kitchen to keep it safe for those following a gluten-free diet.
More Gluten-Free Summer Side Dish Recipes
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces gluten-free rotini pasta, Barilla preferred
- 1 cup basil pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup pine nuts, toasted
- ¼ cup fresh basil, sliced or torn
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse well.
- Add the drained pasta to a large serving bowl along with the pesto, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts.
- Gently toss to combine the ingredients.
- Garnish with fresh, torn basil and extra parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Serve immediately at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
Gwen says
We loved this!
Sharon says
I love pasta salads during the summer, and this recipe is awesome! The pesto adds such a wonderful flavor, and I love the idea of adding pine nuts!
Amanda says
So easy and so good! Love the fresh flavor the pesto adds.
Glenda says
This is my grandkids' favorite pasta dish! Thanks for sharing!
Liz says
This pasta salad was so good! One of my besties is gluten-free, so I was glad to be able to make one that was allergy-friendly!