Are you ready for a mouthwatering pasta salad that bursts with flavor and is perfect for BBQs and potlucks? Look no further than this vegan pesto pasta salad with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts. It’s ready in less than 15 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
This pesto pasta salad is one of our favorite recipes for backyard BBQs and picnics. It only calls for very simple ingredients and it comes together in less than 15 minutes.
Packed with vibrant ingredients like artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts, this pasta salad just tastes like summer. But of course it’s great the whole year round and I can promise you it’s one of those recipes that will leave you wanting more.
The vegan pesto adds a burst of herbaceousness and a luscious creaminess and perfectly coats the pasta. The combination of artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes adds texture and a burst of tanginess.
Plus, the sun-dried tomatoes provide this salad with a delightful pop of sweetness and a hint of umami. The pine nuts add a wonderful crunch and nuttiness and go perfectly with the Mediterranean flavors.
Not only is this vegan pesto pasta salad incredibly delicious, but it’s also a fantastic option for meal prep or serving for a larger crowd of people.
Plus, it’s super versatile and easy to customize. You can add other veggies like roasted bell peppers, olives, or spinach to enhance the taste and add more nutritional value. It can be served as a main course or as a side dish, making it suitable for any occasion, from a casual weeknight dinner to a potluck gathering.
So whip up a batch of this pesto pasta salad and impress your family and friends at your next gathering.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Spaghetti – or pasta of your choice. Use whole wheat pasta for a healthier version and brown rice spaghetti for a gluten-free version.
- Pesto – I used vegan pesto rosso. Use your favorite brand.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – in oil.
- Artichoke Hearts – in oil.
- Pine Nuts
- Lemon Juice – use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Salt – to taste.
- Black Pepper – to taste.
- Fresh Basil – use it generously for the best flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
The preparation of this spaghetti pasta salad couldn’t be much easier! It’s ready in less than 15 minutes and doesn’t require much work.
1. Step: Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Rinse with cold water after cooking and set aside.
2. Step: In the meantime, roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and the artichokes.
3. Step: Place the pine nuts in a frying pan without oil and toast them over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir them frequently until they’re golden. Make sure not to toast them for too long as they burn easily.
4. Step: Roughly chop the basil or rip it by hand.
Tips & Tricks
- I used store-bought vegan red pesto for this recipe. Check out your local health food store for vegan pesto options. If you can’t find it, you could make your own vegan pesto with sun-dried tomatoes.
- If you want to change up the recipe a bit, you could also use my vegan pesto with basil instead of the pesto rosso.
- It’s important to rinse the spaghetti after cooking. This way the cooking process will be stopped immediately and they won’t become too mushy for the pasta salad. And it’s also an easy way to quickly bring down the temperature of the pasta. Besides, it also helps that the pasta doesn’t become gummy and clump together.
Variations
Do you want to change up the recipe a bit by adding more ingredients? Here are some great ideas!
You could add:
- black olives
- cherry tomatoes
- baby spinach or baby arugula
- chickpeas
- vegan feta cheese (you can find the recipe in this post)
If you’re not a fan of spaghetti pasta salad because you think it’s too hard to eat, you could use short pasta like penne or rotini.
Meal Prep
You can easily make this pesto pasta salad the night before. I think it’s best when served soon after making, but if you store it in the fridge it will keep for several days. You might want to add some fresh basil when serving it.
The pasta will also absorb some of the pesto and become a bit dry. So it’s a good idea to have some leftover pesto, so you can add some more before serving.
Storing
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this pasta salad lasts for about 3-5 days.
Gluten-Free Version
For a gluten-free version I recommend using brown rice spaghetti.
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I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this spaghetti pasta salad as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Pesto Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 9 oz spaghetti
- 4 tablespoons pesto rosso (red pesto with sun-dried tomatoes) use a store-bought vegan one or use homemade vegan pesto
- 10 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 10 artichoke hearts in oil
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1-2 handful fresh basil
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the package. Rinse with cold water after cooking and set aside.
- In the meantime, roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and the artichokes.
- Put the pine nuts in a frying pan without oil and cook them over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir them frequently until they’re golden. Make sure not to cook them for too long as they burn easily.
- Roughly chop the basil or rip it by hand.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked spaghetti with the pesto, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the artichokes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped basil and the roasted pine nuts.
Notes
- I used store-bought vegan red pesto for my pesto pasta salad. Check out your local health food store for vegan pesto options. If you can’t find it, you could of course also make your own vegan pesto with sun-dried tomatoes.
- If you want to change up the recipe a bit, you could also use my vegan pesto with basil instead of the pesto rosso.
- You can either use regular spaghetti for this pasta salad or whole wheat spaghetti. For a gluten-free version I recommend using brown rice spaghetti.
- It’s important to rinse the spaghetti after cooking. This way the cooking process will be stopped immediately and they won’t become too mushy for the pasta salad. And it’s also an easy way to quickly bring down the temperature of the pasta. Besides, it also helps that the pasta doesn’t become gummy and clump together.
- I absolutely love this pesto pasta salad in the summer, but you could also serve it warm as a pasta dish. Maybe even sprinkle it with some vegan Parmesan.
- If you’re not a fan of spaghetti pasta salad because you think it’s too hard to eat, you could of course also use short pasta like penne or rotini.
Janet
Hi, the artichokes in oil, what’s ingredients? Is it just plain oil or marinated somewhat? I’m trying to find it but when I looked at the ingredients, there’s wine vinegar with other ingredients. Thanks. Janet
Sina
Hi Janet,
I used marinated artichoke hearts in oil. Hope that helps! :)