• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Karissa's Vegan Kitchen logo

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Side Dishes
    • Dessert
    • Snacks
    • Soup
  • About
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
  • eBooks
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Popular Recipes
  • Search By Meals
  • Search By Ingredients
  • Search By Holidays
  • eBooks
  • Free Vegan Beginner's Guide
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Meals » Side Dishes

    Pesto Pasta Salad

    Published May 6, 2021 · Updated May 31, 2022 · 2 Comments

    2.8K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. See my disclosure policy.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    6-ingredient vegan pesto pasta salad made with sundried tomatoes, spicy arugula, crispy cucumbers, and sweet peas. The pesto sauce is made with nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese, so it's totally dairy-free.

    Large bowl of pesto pasta salad, garnished with a lemon slice.
    Jump to:
    • How-To Video
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • Make-Ahead Instructions
    • Storage
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Pasta salad is one of my favorite foods. Cold pasta, dressed with a flavorful sauce, loaded with other goods like veggies and greens? Yes, please. It's the perfect contrasting side dish to warm dinners like pizza, BBQ tofu, and vegan meatloaf.

    This pesto pasta salad makes for a delicious lunch, too. Nutritious, satisfying, and so tasty. The pesto adds TONS of flavor, while the peas & cucumbers add crunch, and the sundried tomatoes bring an acidic flair. We're also tossing in some arugula because why not? I love the hint of spice that arugula brings to this salad and I'll take any excuse to add some greens to my diet.

    The best part is that pasta salad is totally customizable to what you have in your fridge or what ingredients you like the best. We'll talk more about substitutions later!

    How-To Video

    Ingredients for pasta salad with pesto.

    Ingredients

    First, let's talk about what you need to make this pesto pasta salad recipe. (Reminder: You can find the full, detailed recipe in the card below.)

    • Pasta: I like using penne or rotini for pasta salad. While homemade pasta is typically made with eggs, the kind you buy in the store usually does not.
    • Pesto: Storebought pesto has parmesan, but you can make your own vegan pesto with this recipe.
    • Arugula: Baby arugula adds a nice bite to the salad.
    • Peas: I heat up some frozen peas on the stove or in the microwave, then let them cool before adding to the dish. Canned peas work, too.
    • Sundried tomatoes: These either come in a bag on their own, or in a jar with oil. Either work!
    • Cucumber: My favorite way to prepare cucumber is to slice it in half, scrape out the seeds, then chop it into bite-sized pieces. Removing the seeds and keeping the skin on prevents the cucumber from becoming too soggy.
    Ingredients about to be tossed together in a bowl.

    Variations

    • Gluten-free: Simply grab your favorite GF pasta to make this recipe compliant.
    • Oil-free: Pesto contains oil. The best way to substitute the oil is by using a little water until you achieve the consistency you want.
    • Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes instead of sundried. Cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half make for the perfect bites.
    • Greens: You can substitute the arugula with baby kale or baby spinach.
    • Other additions: Fresh broccoli and cauliflower chopped into small pieces are delicious in my vegan ranch pasta salad, so I think they'll be good here, too! Olives and vegan mozzarella are other great options.
    A fork-full of salad.

    Make-Ahead Instructions

    To make this pasta salad ahead of time, you can assemble the entire thing the day before and store it in the fridge (covered.) Note that the arugula does wilt a bit after storing, so you may toss in the arugula right before serving.

    Storage

    Store any leftover pesto pasta salad in the fridge for up to 3 days. Using an airtight container helps to keep food fresh longer - I like glass containers with locking lids.

    Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!

    Recipe

    Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad

    Karissa Besaw
    Bright and flavorful vegan pesto pasta salad is the perfect summer side dish. Totally vegan and can be made gluten-free with GF pasta.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian, Vegan
    Servings 12 sides
    Calories 225 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 16 ounces penne pasta or rotini
    • ¾ cup vegan pesto
    • 1 cup baby arugula
    • 1 cup peas
    • ½ cup sundried tomatoes
    • 1 large cucumber chopped

    Instructions
     

    • Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Rinse with cold water to cool.
    • In a large bowl, toss the cooled and drained pasta with pesto, arugula, peas, sundried tomatoes, and cucumber.
    • Serve cold. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 160mgPotassium: 309mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 501IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Vegan Sides

    • Garlicky Sautéed Green Beans
    • Vegan Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
    • Vegan Green Bean Casserole
    • Vegan Dinner Rolls
    2.8K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    about karissa

    About Karissa

    Hey! I’m happy you’re here! My name is Karissa and I’ve been cooking up delicious vegan food since going vegan in 2016. Not vegan and just want to eat more plants? We don't judge - everyone is welcome in our kitchen. Read more...

  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • Reader Interactions

    Comments

      leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. N Saw says

      August 24, 2022 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      I rarely leave recipe comments but I had to thank you! This recipe is SO GOOD! It was super quick and easy to make. I used your vegan pesto recipe as well. I made it exactly as written and wouldn’t change a thing! I will suggest to people who don’t care for the slight bitter taste of arugula to replace it with spinach!

      Reply
      • Reader Support says

        August 28, 2022 at 7:54 pm

        Excellent. I'm thrilled you loved the recipe!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    hey there!

    Welcome to Karissa's Vegan Kitchen! I’m happy you’re here! My name is Karissa and I’ve been cooking up delicious vegan food since going vegan in 2016. Not vegan and just want to eat more plants? We don't judge - everyone is welcome in our kitchen.

    • Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
    • Easy Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe
    • The Best Fudgy Vegan Brownies
    • Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
    • Impossible Burger Meatloaf
    • Easy 5-Minute Vegan Gravy

    Footer

    Image says "featured on..." then includes company logos of Finding Vegan, healthline, VegNews, PETA, Runner's World, LiveKindly, Prevention, Woman's Day, Shape, Buzzfeed, and MSN.

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 KARISSA'S VEGAN KITCHEN · Privacy Policy & Disclosures · Contact