Pasta Salad with Pesto

Name: Pasta Salad with Pesto
Yield: Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish
Ingredients: 3/4 cup, pine nuts; 2 medium cloves, garlic, unpeeled; , Table salt; 1 pound, farfalle (bow ties) pasta; 1/4 cup, extra virgin olive oil plus 1 additional tablespoon; 3 cups, packed fresh basil leaves (about 4 ounces); 1 cup, baby spinach (packed), about 1 ounce; 1/2 teaspoon, ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons, fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon; 1 1/2 ounces, finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus extra for serving; 6 tablespoons, mayonnaise; 1 pint, cherry tomatoes, quartered, or grape tomatoes, halved (optional)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2006

Side Dishes

Pasta

Salads

SERVES8 to 10 as a side dish

TIME55 minutes

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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

When we developed our pesto pasta salad recipe, we discovered a trick to prevent the pesto’s bright green color from dulling. Adding another green element to the pesto—fresh baby spinach—provided long-lasting color without interfering with ...

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