Summer Pasta Salad

This colorful Summer Pasta Salad is the perfect way to use up garden veggies and herbs! It will be your go-to for potlucks, cookouts, BBQs, and summer holiday parties.

This easy pasta salad recipe is coated in a super creamy avocado pesto sauce and topped with roasted garden veggies for an amazing meal! This versatile dish can be served hot or cold, great for packing up and bringing to your next gathering. It’s easy to customize flavors based on what you have available, and leftovers never last long. You need to try this summer recipe pronto!

Can’t get enough pesto? Neither can we! Here’s our homemade pesto recipe, one pan pesto chicken, or pesto eggs. Get more of our favorites here!

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what you need for this recipe. Scroll to the printable recipe card for exact measurements.

For the Avocado Pesto Dressing:

• Avocado, lemon juice, and olive oil – This combination creates an ultra creamy, flavorful sauce.
• Slivered almonds, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, and garlic – Parmesan should be grated, and the garlic cloves can go into the food processor whole or minced. Feel free to swap the almonds for pine nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, or your favorite type. Note that any nuts with skins on them will give the pesto a darker color.
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta salad:

• Cherry tomatoes, asparagus, zucchini, and orange bell pepper – These fresh vegetables should be sliced fairly small for a quick cooking time and easy eating with the pasta. You will need additional olive oil, salt, and pepper for roasting these.
• Bowtie pasta (AKA farfalle) – Other shorter pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, shells, ziti, rotini, fusilli, etc. will work, too. Feel free to use gluten-free or protein-enriched pasta!

How to make pasta salad with avocado pesto

This easy summer pasta salad requires a sheet pan, a large pot, a food processor, and a colander. Here is a quick step-by-step guide:

Roast vegetables

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sliced vegetables on a baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Cook pasta and make avocado pesto sauce

While the vegetables are roasting, boil the pasta in a large pot of water according to the package instructions. Once pasta is al dente (or as tender as you like it), drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Return to the pot (off the heat) or place in a mixing bowl for now.

Place the pesto ingredients into a food processor. Blend until smooth, then add salt and pepper to taste. Scrape the creamy pesto sauce onto the cooked, drained pasta and stir to coat. Make sure it gets into all the little nooks and crannies for amazing flavor! When the veggies are finished, top the avocado pesto pasta with them and serve.

What to serve with roasted veggie pasta salad

This recipe works great as a hot or cold dish! For a simple, hearty dinner, serve hot with a side of blackened pork chops, some grilled shrimp, or even crunchy chicken tenders. It works as a great cold potluck appetizer, especially with Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches and Instant Pot Artichokes.

Leftovers work great for lunch with easy turkey rollups or a cup of tomato soup!

Storage

This pasta salad recipe is best fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The longer roasted veggies are stored, the more moisture may leak from them; this could make the sauce runny. If you are prepping this ahead of time, I would recommend keeping the pesto-covered pasta and the vegetables separate in the refrigerator.

Tips and Variations

• Add other vegetables. Onions, red onions, brussels sprouts, and mushrooms would all be great roasted. For more fiber, consider stirring fresh arugula or spinach in with the pesto and pasta. Fresh peas,
• Add protein. If you want a crunchier texture, add in crumbled, cooked bacon. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, shred or cube it and stir that in. For more flavor, try mixing in sliced Italian sausage.
• Switch up the pesto. Instead of basil, try using other fresh herbs like parsley, mint, or cilantro. You could even use a mixture! Consider substituting the parmesan for asiago, Manchego, or feta cheese.
• Is your basil bitter? If you taste your pesto and feel it needs to be brightened up, consider adding extra lemon juice and some fresh lemon zest. A small pinch of sugar or extra parmesan cheese can help as well.

More summer potluck recipes

• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Loaded Smoked Queso
• Easy Burrata Salad
• Fresh Salsa or Salsa Verde
• Homemade Pickles or Pickled Jalapenos