If you love the bold herby flavor of pesto, but want something a little creamier (and nut free!) this creamy basil pasta salad is about to become your summer staple. It’s packed with fresh flavor from a double hit of both juicy cherry tomatoes and rich sun-dried tomatoes, with a punch of freshness and flavor from peppery arugula and plenty of fresh parmesan. And it’s all tossed in a silky, pesto-inspired dressing made with a blend of mayo and cottage cheese. It’s perfect for make-ahead lunches, a backyard summer dinner, or your next BBQ!
Ingredients Needed
- Mayonnaise
- Cottage Cheese
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh Basil
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Arugula
- Parmesan Cheese
- Bowtie Pasta
How to make Creamy Basil Pasta Salad
- First whip up the dressing so it can have time to sit for the flavors to develop. You can prep the dressing up to a day in advance even.
- Cook the pasta according to box directions, and make sure to generously salt your water.
- Combine the cooked pasta with your cherry and sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and arugula.
- Top with the dressing and toss together.
Tips for the best Pasta Salad
- Generously salt your pasta water– remember this is the only opportunity you have to get flavor IN the pasta and it makes a difference!
- Make your dressing ahead – it’s quite common to throw together a pasta salad and then let it chill before serving. What I like to do with this one (and other creamy dressings) is let the dressing sit before using. Then you can toss everything together and serve immediately. Of course you can also chill the salad ahead as well!
- Try it with grilled chicken other protein of your choice – It’s great served as a one-dish dinner with grilled chicken or steak on top.
- Add more fresh herbs – if you have them, in an herb garden for example, toss them in! I love adding fresh chives on top, and a little rosemary added into the sauce is fantastic, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This salad is a star in the fridge. Just give it a good stir and add a bit of liquid (milk or buttermilk work great) to loosen up the sauce after a long chill.
Absolutely. I like a pasta with plenty of nooks and crannies to catch the herby sauce. But feel free to use your favorite!
It holds up shockingly well. 4-5 days, easy. That’s percisely why I use arugula, because it will take a long time for it to wilt, and the flavors of the salad just get better. Again, it will soak up the sauce and “dry out” over time, so you may want to loosen it up with a drizzle of liquid first.
You can, but it won’t last as long in the fridge. Fresh spinach, or chopped Romaine will taste great, you’ll just want to serve it fresh as those will wilt after sitting.
Creamy Basil Pasta Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 oz basil about 3 cups lightly packed
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 4 ounces sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil roughly chopped, about ½ cup
- 1.5 oz arugula 3 cups lightly packed, more if desired
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan about 1.5-2 oz
- 16 oz dry bowtie pasta
Instructions
- Start by making the dressing so the flavors have time to marry together. In a food processor combine mayo, cottage cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and basil.
- Process in food processor until smooth and set aside. I prefer to make this dressing 30-60 minutes ahead of time so it has time to do it's thing. Just store in the fridge until you're ready to assemble. Note: All brands of cottage cheese are different. Some will be thicker than others. After assembling, if you need to- feel free to add in a small amount of additional liquid if you feel that your dressing is too thick. Milk, buttermilk, and extra lemon juice are all good options.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions, making sure to generously salt your cooking water (about a tablespoon). When pasta is done cooking, strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Place the well drained pasta in a large salad bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, and parmesan cheese.
- Add the prepared dressing and toss pasta salad until well combined.
- If you chill the salad before serving, you'll find the pasta absorbs the dressing and it might appear drier than when you first made it. You can easily loosen it up before serving by drizzling in just a little bit of milk or buttermilk.
Questions & Reviews
This was wonderful and the dressing was amazing
Made this tonight and it was a hit!! I loved the creamy dressing and we could use up a ton of our fresh basil! New summer staple for sure!
I’d love to make this using some of my frozen 1-oz pesto cubes, how would you recommend swapping out some of the ingredients to do that? Other than the basil of course!
Made this dish last night and served with grilled pesto chicken and corn on the cob. The salad was the star of the show! So good that my husband, for whom lunch is catered in every day, *packed a lunch* so he could have it again. Pretty sure I’ll be making it weekly this summer.
This was outstanding! The dressing is so bright and flavorful. The whole family loved it.
Made this today for lunch and threw in the leftover grilled chicken from last night. Loved the basil flavor and the addition of arugula. Will be making this all summer.
I’m a huge fan of your southwestern pasta salad and this one is just as good! It’s great to have two different recipes now to go between for picnics and potlucks.
I don’t have an abundance of basil in my garden right now…could I make the dressing with pesto?
Definitely! But I haven’t tried it yet, so. you’ll have to eyeball it. But honestly just pesto with a little mayo and cottage cheese blended together should taste great!
Looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Looks so good!! Perfect summer meal. Could I replace Greek yogurt for the mayo? Or do you have a suggestion to replace the mayo with? Thank you so much!
Personally I wouldn’t sub greek yogurt for mayo- if you were going to do that, you may as well just make it with 100% cottage cheese. You’ll miss some of the fat and salt/flavor from the mayo so I would maybe add some fresh pesto if you need to avoid the mayo for dietary reasons.