Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta salad is so easy to make. This easy side dish is a crowd pleaser that can be thrown together in under 20 minutes and makes a great addition to a summer party or family get-together. The best part is that it only needs 4 ingredients!

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What Goes in a Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad?
This amazing dish only requires a few simple ingredients easily found at the local grocery store::
- 8oz (228g) of your favorite pasta (measured dry)
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (drained, and cut into pieces)
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts (drained, and cut into pieces)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional – freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil to garnish

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad
First, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the instructions on the box. When it comes to pasta for this easy pasta salad you can use any type of pasta that you like. We are using brown rice gluten-free pasta, you can find it here. This pasta requires 9 minutes to cook and you want to leave the pasta slightly al dente. Next, use a strainer to drain the cooked pasta and rinse with cold water.

Place the pasta into a large bowl and add the pesto. We make our own pesto but you can use store-bought pesto if you don’t have homemade. Or check out how to make fresh homemade pesto here: Homemade Pesto Recipe.
Add the artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes to the bowl. It’s okay if a little bit of the sun-dried tomato oil goes into the pasta salad. This little bit of extra oil from the sundried tomatoes adds a nice flavor. But make sure that too much oil doesn’t go in. The basil pesto is already made with extra virgin olive oil so a little goes a long way as it is. A little is okay, a lot is not.

Add salt and pepper, or red pepper flakes to taste and stir to fully coat the pasta with the pesto sauce and combine the flavors.

Homemade Easy Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad
Garnish with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

This sun-dried tomato and basil pesto pasta salad can be served at room temperature or as a cold pasta salad. Store in an airtight container and serve it with your favorite summer meal. Turn this pasta salad into a main dish with the addition of your favorite protein.

FAQs and Variations
Absolutely, Sometimes we add mozzarella, other times we add a little red onion or grape tomatoes. This recipe is extremely flexible.
Yes, somewhat. To make this more of a Greek pasta salad you can add feta cheese, red bell peppers, and kalamata olives.

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta salad is so easy to make. This easy side dish is a crowd pleaser and can be made with just 4 ingredients and in under 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 8oz (228g) of your favorite pasta (measured dry)
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (drained, and cut into pieces)
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts (drained, and cut into pieces)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional - freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to instructions. Leave it slightly al dente.
- Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
- Combine cooked pasta, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts in a large bowl.
- Stir to combine
- Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and enjoy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 193mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g