Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
from ButterYum
makes enough to feed a crowd
Ingredients
1 pound pasta (shapes that work well are gemelli, fusili, rotini, penne)
3/4 cup prepared pesto (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup real mayonnaise (we love Duke’s)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 cups asparagus tips, cooked
15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Optional: 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
Garnish: chopped fresh chives
Directions
Cook pasta in salted water until al dente; drain and set aside until needed.
In a very large mixing bowl (6-quart or larger), whisk together the pesto, mayo, and salt.
Add the cooked pasta, peas, asparagus, chickpeas, pine nuts, and chives; mix well and serve immediately..
adapted from The Cookie Rookie
Notes
My favorite store-bought pesto is Kirkland brand from Costco. It’s made with D.O.P. Genovese Basil imported from Italy. But if you prefer to use homemade, check out my recipe here.
Feel free to use any pasta you like, but I prefer shapes that are 1 to 2 inches in length (roughly the same size of the asparagus tips).