Pesto Bowtie Pasta Salad: The #1 Potluck Must-Have!

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Pesto bowtie pasta salad with creamy, savory basil pesto is one of this year’s best recipe choices as a pork side dish, BBQ side dish, or cookout.

Fresh basil pesto pasta with Farfalle (bowtie) pasta noodles, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese is a simple, under 30-minute side dish. The pretty little bowties also act as a wide-based pasta noodle that soaks up the pesto and dressing.

spoonfull of bowtie pasta with pesto and a tomato on top.

Although plenty filling on its own, this pasta goes excellent with hamburgers, pulled pork, and hot dogs.

Plus, as a rule, most pasta salads are easily adaptable, so once you try the original recipe, try again with some variations!

Why you will love this Summer Pasta Salad

Make your tongue dance with this summertime creamy pesto bowtie pasta salad! This creamy pasta salad with pesto breaks from the usual table flair. Typically, at most potlucks, picnics, and BBQs, a table serves all the fantastic sides everyone brings.

You can count on macaroni and cheese, potato salad, and even modern favorites like frito corn salad.

But you may have never seen a pesto pasta salad sitting there.

This pesto salad bursts with flavor, counting on the bold Italian seasonings of pesto, the crunch of pine nuts, and the happy little bowtie pasta noodle that pulls it together.

This must-make (and always-enjoyed) pasta salad is an uncomplicated, rich-tasting side dish that complements most BBQ dishes.

Ingredients

Farfalle pasta: This is the bowtie-shaped pasta cooked according to the instructions on the box.
Prepared jarred pesto: Any of your favorite brands of jarred pesto sauce work great. I am not overly picky about it, as I have tried many brands with the same results. I use Classico, which comes in small jars near the store’s Parmesan cheese and pasta sauce.
Grape tomatoes: I love the elongated shape of grape tomatoes; however, cherry tomatoes would work fine.
Pine nuts: While leaving this part of the ingredients may be tempting, don’t! It is unique and brings a great flavor to this pasta side.
Hellmann’s mayonnaise
grated Parmesan cheese
Virgin olive oil
fresh spinach leaves

cold bowtie pasta salad in a mixing bowl.

How to make Pesto Bowtie Pasta Salad

Cook pasta according to package directions.
Drain pasta entirely of boiled water and rinse with cold water to cool before moving on. Make sure the pasta has no excess water.
Add store-bought jarred pesto, mayonnaise, grated Parmesan cheese, water, and olive oil, and mix dressing well in a separate bowl.
Pour creamy pesto sauce over pasta and mix well to coat all pasta sides evenly.
Add chopped spinach and fresh tomatoes and toss again to combine all the ingredients.

collage of steps on how to make bowtie pesto salad.

Optionally, add a little salt and cracked pepper before serving.
Put in the fridge for a few hours to get cold, and let fresh ingredients work together to flavor the perfect pasta salad.
Serve pasta salad topped with pine nuts, kosher salt, and black pepper, or one of the other simple ingredient alterations suggested in the recipe.

Can other pasta types be used over farfalle pasta?

Farfalle pasta (also known as butterfly or bow-tie pasta) is great for this side dish as the main pasta. First, it’s pretty, and presentation matters. Second, it’s a thick pasta that allows the total grab of the pesto dressing.

Technically, when it comes to pasta salad noodle substitution, “any” noodle could play a part. The main recommendation is to look at the ability of a noodle to hold the dressing and goodies without getting overwhelmed and saturated.

Therefore, if you need a substitute, large penne would do a fair job, and large shells (not small ones) would do the trick in a pinch.

What do pine nuts taste like? Is there a substitution?

Pine nuts are small and sweet and give almost a butter-like texture. You could easily substitute other nuts for pine nuts (or leave them out altogether). Pine nuts are actually from PINE CONES, which may come as a shock and can be a bit expensive.

As far as similar-tasting nuts, almonds are thought to have a similar texture and taste to the pine nut, but chopped cashews, walnuts, or even pecans give the same crunch with a bit of flavor.

Remember that each nut has its own particular taste, and not all may be precisely what you want for pesto.

Commonly Asked Questions

Is pesto pasta cold or hot?

This pesto pasta salad recipe is served COLD.

Do you heat pesto before putting pasta?

No, jarred pesto needs a little stir (so it’s not too oily), and adding straight from the jar is fine. Do not heat pesto before adding to pasta salad. This is one of those delicious recipes that taste better cold.

Can pesto pasta be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! Just stir it before serving to gather any settled dressing.

How long do Pesto Pasta leftovers keep?

Pesto bowtie Pasta salad can be kept in an airtight container (to seal freshness and flavor) for 3-4 days in a cold fridge.

Are there any suggested additions to this Pasta Salad?

One of the most delicious things about pasta salad side dishes is that they are easy to alter with optional ingredients. While this pesto pasta is perfect in its own right, feel free to try fresh mozzarella balls or feta cheese, black olives that bring color and flavor, or a few pepper flakes.

Another great addition to the pesto flavor is surprisingly avocado! Bits of avocado bring more green to this dish and taste creamy with the tangy pesto.

Add cooked skinless chicken breasts chopped into small pieces (like we do in the chicken pesto pasta salad recipe) or rotisserie chicken to bow-tie pasta salad to create a complete meal.

Pasta salads do their job at gatherings as a great filling side dish that keeps for days after as delicious leftovers. But no one likes just one pasta salad choice! This Shrimp Pesto Pasta salad is a great variation in the same flavor family if you want to keep with the pesto theme.

If you want to switch it up to have various choices, try BLT pasta Salad, Pea Pasta Salad, and you cannot go wrong with vegetable macaroni pasta salad.

Sick of pasta but still need a side? All pasta needs a balanced sweetness, so go with traditional Ambrosia Salad or Watergate Salad.