Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad – pasta tossed with Basil Mint Pesto, tomatoes, zucchini, and mozzarella for an easy summer side dish.  

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad // Fork in the Kitchen

One month of summer left – how is that even possible?!  I’m kicking it into overdrive now with all things summer related: weekends at the lake, boat rides, walks along the river, patio time…

When it comes down to it, us Minnesotans know this one true fact about life: enjoy the weather while you can.

Oh, might I mention this includes many outdoor patio/backyard BBQ’s with friends and family?  The kind with a large table filled with all kinds of dishes – salads, finger-foods, meats, cheese, fruits, sweets (etc, etc…).  You name it, it’s there ready to be piled on a plate and devoured in between boat rides and games of corn hole.

Now we’re really speaking my summer language.

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad // Fork in the Kitchen

This past weekend, I had the quintessential Minnesota weekend: a cabin in the woods up north, on a lake, with a boat.  Add in perfect weather, amazing friends, and a garden full of fresh vegetables and chickens clucking around –  oh and paddle boats, floating rafts, and lots of laughs – for the complete experience.

Now this setting, this is where I bring to you Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta.  These perfect summer days full of laugher and sunshine is what it’s about.

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad // Fork in the Kitchen

It’s meant to be enjoyed on those tables full of food, mixed in between the homemade brownie bites and the plate full of burgers (veggie, too, of course!) with loved ones around and the sun shining down.

Swirls of twisty pasta hold onto the Basil Mint Pesto just as I would – with every fiber of my being – and are mixed in with the summer veggies that are (hopefully) overflowing in your garden: zucchini and tomatoes.

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad // Fork in the Kitchen

What goes better with this stellar combination than mozzarella cheese?  Nothing, that’s why all you need are bite-sized cubes of fresh mozzarella mixed in for the best summer pasta salad around.

Love pasta salad? Check out these other favorites!

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad // Fork in the Kitchen
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Get the Recipe Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad

Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad – pasta tossed with Basil Mint Pesto, tomatoes, zucchini, and mozzarella for an easy summer side dish.  

Ingredients

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to directions on packaging, reserving 2 Tablespoons pasta water before draining and rinsing. Stir together pasta water and pesto.
  • Toss pesto, pasta, tomatoes, zucchini, and mozzarella. Salt to taste.
  • Chill or serve immediately. Garnish with basil as desired.

Notes

See link below for Basil Mint Pesto recipe. Feel free to substitute Basil Pesto or store-bought if you need a quick solution!
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