Pesto Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
Fusilli tossed in vibrant homemade basil pesto with creamy bocconcini, juicy cherry tomatoes, peppery arugula, and toasted pine nuts. The secret splash of mayo keeps it silky even after chilling.
This pesto pasta salad. I cannot stop making it. Every cookout, every potluck, every "what should I bring" text from Meghan — this is the answer. I started making it two summers ago when I needed something for a school end-of-year party that could sit out in the heat and still taste incredible. The trick my mom taught me — and I rolled my eyes at first — is stirring a little mayonnaise into the pesto before tossing. It sounds weird but it keeps the pasta creamy and glossy instead of drying out and going dull the way plain pesto does after an hour. Sam, who claims he doesn't like cold pasta, ate an entire plate and then stood at the counter picking out the bocconcini like a six-year-old. The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes and honestly tastes better after it sits for a bit, which makes it the ultimate make-ahead dish for when you've got people coming over and don't want to be stuck in the kitchen.
“Dry the pasta thoroughly after rinsing. Every drop of water clinging to those spirals will dilute your pesto from vibrant and punchy to pale and watery. Shake the colander hard, spread the pasta out, give it five minutes. This is the difference between a pesto pasta salad that looks like the photos and one that looks washed out.”
The Key to This Dish
This pesto pasta salad. I cannot stop making it. Every cookout, every potluck, every "what should I bring" text from Meghan — this is my answer, every single time. I started making it two summers ago when I needed something for a school end-of-year party that could sit out in the New Jersey heat and still taste incredible an hour later. The trick my mom taught me — and I rolled my eyes at first — is stirring a little mayonnaise into the pesto before tossing. It sounds weird but it keeps the pasta creamy and glossy instead of drying out and going dull.
Sam, who claims he doesn't like cold pasta, ate an entire plate and then stood at the counter picking out the bocconcini like a six-year-old. The whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes and honestly tastes better after it sits for a bit, which makes it the ultimate make-ahead dish. I brought this to Layla's soccer team end-of-season party last year and three moms asked me for the recipe before I even sat down.
The pesto is homemade here — basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, good olive oil — and it takes about two minutes with an immersion blender. You can absolutely use store-bought if you're in a rush, but the color and freshness of homemade is worth it when basil is in season. The real key is drying that pasta after you rinse it. Every drop of water dilutes your beautiful green pesto into something pale and sad.
Once the pasta is coated, you just fold in the good stuff — juicy cherry tomatoes, creamy little bocconcini halves, peppery baby arugula, and a scatter of toasted pine nuts. Every bite has something different going on. It's one of those recipes where the simplicity is the whole point.
Trust me — make extra. You'll want leftovers.
!Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 1Not drying the pasta after rinsing — water trapped in the spirals dilutes the pesto and you end up with a watery, pale salad instead of a vibrant green one
- 2Skipping the mayo and wondering why it dried out after 30 minutes — olive oil alone separates and gets absorbed by the pasta
- 3Tossing the arugula too aggressively — it wilts into nothing. Gentle folds, last step
- 4Making pesto with too much garlic — one small clove is enough. Raw garlic in cold dishes hits harder than in cooked food
Pesto Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella
Ingredients
For 6 servings (about 1.5 cups)
- 350g fusilli pasta (about 3.5 cups)
Pasta
- 1 tbsp salt, for pasta water
Pesto
- 2 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted, toasted
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 250g cherry tomatoes (about 1 heaped cup), halved
- 220g baby bocconcini, drained (about 1 cup), drained and halved
- 1 cup baby arugula, packed (about 40g)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Garnish
- Small basil leaves for garnish(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil with 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the fusilli and cook for the time on the packet plus 1 extra minute — you want it just slightly softer than al dente since it firms up as it cools.
11 minPasta is tender but not mushy. Bite one — it should be soft all the way through with no chalky center.
- 2
Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until the pasta feels completely cool to the touch. Shake off as much water as possible, then spread on a clean kitchen towel or leave in the colander for 5 minutes to fully dry.
5 minPasta feels room temperature and no longer drips water when you shake the colander. Residual water will dilute the pesto.
- 3
While the pasta dries, make the pesto. Place basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a tall jug or narrow container. Blitz with an immersion blender until mostly smooth — you want some visible green flecks, not a perfect puree.
Pesto is thick, vibrant green, and spreadable. Small herb flecks visible but no large chunks. If it looks like a smoothie, you've gone too far.
- 4
Transfer cooled pasta to a large bowl. Scrape in all the pesto, add the mayonnaise, and toss thoroughly until every spiral is coated in green.
No plain pasta visible — every piece should be evenly coated with pesto. The mayo makes it look glossy and creamy rather than dry.
- 5
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and bocconcini. Toss gently to distribute without crushing the cheese. Scatter the arugula over the top, season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and fold in with a few gentle turns.
Tomatoes and bocconcini are evenly dispersed throughout. Arugula should look just barely wilted from the residual warmth, not fully limp.
- 6
Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter with small basil leaves and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan if you like. Serve immediately at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate until needed.
Salad looks vibrant with pops of red, white, and green against the pesto-coated pasta.
Equipment Needed
large pot · colander · immersion blender or food processor · large mixing bowl
Chef Tips
- ✓The mayonnaise is not optional — it's the secret to pesto pasta salad that stays creamy for hours instead of going dry and clumpy. You won't taste mayo, I promise. My mom does the same thing and she doesn't even like mayonnaise.
- ✓Cook the pasta one minute longer than the packet says. Cold pasta firms up as it sits, so slightly softer hot = perfectly tender cold.
- ✓Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan constantly — they go from golden to burnt in about 10 seconds. Don't walk away.
- ✓If you're making this ahead, hold the arugula and tomatoes separately and toss them in just before serving so they stay fresh and perky.
- ✓No immersion blender? A food processor works perfectly. A regular blender works too, you just might need to scrape down the sides a few times.
Why It Works
- →Overcooking the pasta by 1 minute compensates for firming that happens as it cools — so you get perfectly tender pasta when served cold
- →Mayonnaise emulsifies into the pesto, creating a creamy coating that clings to the pasta instead of separating and pooling at the bottom
- →Rinsing under cold water stops cooking immediately and washes off surface starch so the pasta doesn't clump into a sticky mass
- →Adding tomatoes and bocconcini after the pesto means they stay intact and juicy instead of getting crushed and waterlogging everything
Techniques Used
Variations
With sun-dried tomatoes
Add 1/2 cup drained, julienned sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed) along with the cherry tomatoes. They add a sweet, chewy, concentrated tomato flavor that makes this feel more substantial.
Mediterranean version
Swap bocconcini for crumbled feta, add 1/4 cup sliced Kalamata olives and diced cucumber. Skip the mayo and use 2 extra tablespoons of olive oil. Different vibe, equally addictive.
Add protein
Toss in shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp, or a can of drained white beans to turn this from a side into a full meal. Sam prefers it with grilled chicken — he calls it 'real food' at that point.
Nut-free version
Replace pine nuts in the pesto with raw sunflower seeds — surprisingly close in texture and flavor. Toasted pepitas work too.
FAQ
Can I use store-bought pesto instead of homemade?+
Absolutely — use about 3/4 cup of good jarred pesto. Still add the mayo. Homemade is brighter in color and fresher in flavor, but store-bought works when you're short on time or basil is expensive.
Can I make this the night before?+
Yes, and it actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge. The pesto soaks into the pasta. Just add the arugula right before serving so it doesn't wilt, and give it a good toss — you might want to drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil to loosen it up.
What can I use instead of pine nuts?+
Toasted walnuts, slivered almonds, or cashews all work great. Pine nuts are traditional but honestly walnuts give you a slightly deeper, nuttier pesto that I sometimes prefer.
Is this safe to leave out at a picnic?+
The mayo makes people nervous, but commercial mayo is actually acidic enough to be safe. The bigger concern is the mozzarella — keep it in a cooler and pull it out when you're ready to eat. It's fine for 2 hours at room temp.
Serving Suggestions
Serve alongside grilled chicken, burgers, or honestly just a big green salad and call it dinner. It's a staple at our summer cookouts — I set it out next to the grill and it's always the first thing gone. A crusty baguette on the side doesn't hurt.
Make Ahead
Make the full salad up to 24 hours ahead — just hold the arugula separately and toss it in before serving. The flavors actually improve overnight as the pesto soaks into the pasta. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and toss before serving to refresh the coating.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It thickens as it chills — loosen with a drizzle of olive oil and a good toss before serving.
Reheating
This is meant to be served cold or at room temperature — no reheating needed. Pull it from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving for the best flavor.
Freezing
Not recommended. The mozzarella gets rubbery and the arugula turns to mush. Just make a fresh batch — it only takes 20 minutes.