I love a good homemade pesto pasta salad recipe! The rich, herbal notes of pesto offer such dynamic color and flavor to pasta, it’s like a cool, verdant plunge into a basil garden. Fusilli pasta, with its classic corkscrew shape, captures that gorgeous pesto into the contours of each lovely pasta swirl, tucking away that lovely flavor and color. Just a few additions of cherry tomatoes, freshly grilled corn, and vegan parmesan cheese pulls this delicious, satisfying salad together quite beautifully. You can serve this easy vegetarian and vegan pasta pesto salad recipe as a side dish to accompany grilled tofu, veggie burgers, or chili, plus it’s great for meal prep, potlucks, parties, and picnics. You can make up the whole recipe in about 35 minutes, and you can swap out fresh corn on the cob for frozen fire-roasted corn if you’re in a hurry or can’t find good fresh corn. You can also replace prepared vegan parmesan cheese for this quick home-made recipe. Try other pasta shapes, such as penne and linguini, if desired. And feel free to toss in some of your favorite veggies, including sliced zucchini, broccoli spears, and spinach leaves.
Nutrition Notes
This veggie pasta salad recipe is a good source of protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidant compounds. You can increase the fiber and nutrition by using whole grain or pulse pasta. This recipe is also naturally vegan, and can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
How to Make Pesto
Making home-made pesto might sound daunting, but it’s quite simple! Just process fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, and EVOO in a food processor, and you’re set. It helps if you have a basil plant, which can be quite generous in the summer months. My basil plant can get as tall as me, offering a season worth of delicious flavor to my favorite recipes. If you don’t have a basil plant, try buying fresh basil in your local market or farmers market too. You can also add in some arugula to create a flavorful fusilli pasta with basil and arugula recipe version. Learn more about how to make pesto here.
This vibrant, colorful Pesto Fusilli Pasta Salad with Corn and Tomatoes is packed with flavor and nutrition, compliments of an easy homemade pesto, fusilli pasta, grilled corn, and cashew parmesan. This pesto pasta salad is vegan, and can be easily made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Salad:
Pesto:
Vegan Parmesan:
To grill corn, brush shucked ears of corn with ½ tablespoon olive oil and place on a hot grill to cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally to cook evenly on all sides, until golden brown and tender. Allow to cool slightly, then cut the corn from the cobs and add to a large salad bowl.
While corn is cooking, cook pasta by adding water to a large pot to fill it two-thirds full. Cover and bring to a boil. Add fusilli, reduce to medium heat, and cook until al dente according to package directions (about 7 minutes). Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add pasta to the bowl with corn and allow to cool slightly.
While corn and pasta is cooking and cooling, make pesto.
Place basil, garlic, and salt in the container of a food processor. Process for about 2 minutes to finely chop the basil and garlic. Gradually pour in the olive oil, lemon juice, and water while processing for an additional 2-3 minutes (or until smooth). Stop and scrape down sides as needed while blending. Should make a smooth pesto mixture.
Make vegan parmesan by placing raw cashews, nutritional yeast, salt, and white pepper into a small blender container and processing for a few seconds until ground into a grainy, sand-like texture.
Add the pesto, vegan parmesan, tomatoes, red chili flakes, and balsamic vinegar to the bowl with corn and pasta. Toss gently to distribute ingredients. Add reserved pasta water as needed to moisten the salad. Season with salt, as desired.
Serve immediately, or chill until serving time. Makes 8 servings (about 1 ½ cups each).
Notes
This recipe is naturally vegan, and can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Try different types of pasta, such as penne or linguini as desired.
May use ¼ cup prepared vegan parmesan cheese if desired.
May add cannellini or chickpeas to this recipe to make it a meal.
Try serving this salad in a shallow 3 quart salad bowl, such as this one.
Prep Time:20
Cook Time:20
Category:Entree
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:1.5 cup
Calories:297
Sodium:216 mg
Fat:6 g
Saturated Fat:1 g
Carbohydrates:54 g
Fiber:4 g
Protein:6 g
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