Pesto Pasta Salad (with low-carb option)

Pesto Pasta Salad is a delicious pasta salad with roasted red peppers and olives that’s extra easy to make. And you can use traditional pasta, low-carb Palmini Pasta, or Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta, whichever you prefer.

PIN the Pesto Pasta Salad recipe to make it later!

A few weeks ago I made Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad using Palmini Pasta, and it was such a success. And then I remembered this ultra-easy vegetarian Pesto Pasta Salad back in the archives and wondered how it would work with the same Palmini Linguini I used in the new pasta salad recipe. And it was a winner!

I know the traditional pasta version of this salad does have some fans, so I’m just updating this post so it gives you both options. Make traditional pasta salad with the Rotini pasta I used in the original salad, or make the new low-carb Pesto Pasta Salad using Palmini pasta; your choice! And if you want another option, you could also make this salad with Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta, which is a high-fiber wheat pasta that’s lower in net carbs.

And no matter which version you prefer, if you already have some of my Basil Pesto with Lemon or a jar of my favorite Kirkland Basil Pesto, this might be the easiest pasta salad you’ve ever made! And except for the pasta, the recipe uses pantry ingredients that you might have in the house.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe:

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• whole wheat Rotini pasta, Palmini Low-Carb Linguini (affiliate link), or Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini (affiliate link), whichever you prefer
• canned black olives
• Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link)
• Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link)
• pesto of your choice
• freshly grated parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

What’s the difference between the Pesto Pasta Salad recipes?

The only difference between the ingredients for the two recipes is the type of pasta used. However, the salad with Palmini Pasta or Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta makes fewer servings because those pastas are more expensive and I didn’t want to create a recipe that needed two cans or boxes! The Palmini Pasta version is gluten-free, the version with either type of Rotini pasta has gluten, but this could also be made with gluten-free pasta.

What is Palmini Pasta?

Palmini Pasta (affiliate link) is a type of low-carb pasta made from hearts of palm. The pasta variations made by Palmini include Linguini, Angel Hair (which is more like thin spaghetti), and Lasagna. Kara and I have enjoyed experimenting with the Palmini Pasta products, and we really like the flavor of them. And one benefit to them is that because the Palmini noodles don’t absorb the dressing, the low-carb version of this salad stayed good in the fridge for a few days!

Does Palmini Pasta need to be precooked?

After experimenting with several recipes, Kara and I definitely prefer cooking the Palmini pasta for five minutes in boiling, salted water before using it in a recipe. We feel the pre-cooking gives the hearts of palm a more “pasta-like” texture.

What is Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta?

Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta (affiliate link) is a high-fiber pasta made in Italy and it comes in Penne, Rotini, Spaghetti, and Elbows. This tastes absolutely the same as regular high-carb pasta made with wheat. The only bad news about this pasta is the price. I haven’t found it in any stores near me, and when I order from Amazon I am careful not to choose the option for only two boxes of pasta; that makes it almost $10 a box. If you get the pack with six boxes it comes out to about $6.66 per box, still pricey but worth it for me when I am craving pasta and don’t want carbs. Both Kara and I are loving this new pasta option, just search “Fiber Gourmet” on the website to find other recipes where we’ve used it.

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. For either type of pasta, bring a medium-sized pan of water to a boil, adding a little salt.
2. For Palmini Pasta, drain the noodles well and cut apart with kitchen shears. (For Rotini pasta or Fiber Gourmet, just open the box!)
3. Cook the pasta exactly 5 minutes for Palmini Pasta, or about 9 minutes for regular Rotini Pasta. (The Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta takes longer to cook; start with the time on the box and cook until it’s al dente.)
4. While pasta cooks, drain roasted red peppers well. (I found peppers already in strips, but slice or chop if needed.)
5. Drain a can of black olives and cut in half.
6. When pasta is cooked, drain pasta well and let cool about 10 minutes.
7. Combine pesto and vinaigrette dressing to make the dressing. 
8. After the pasta cools , stir in enough dressing to coat the pasta. (You may not need all the dressing, but save the rest in case you want to add it later.)
9. Combine the dressed pasta, red bell pepper, and olives. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge 1-3 hours.
10. To serve, mix in freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little more dressing if desired.
11. Serve slightly chilled or at or room temperature.
12. Both versions of this will stay good in the fridge for a few days if you’re lucky enough to have some left over.

Other ingredients you could use in this Pesto Pasta salad:

• diced marinated artichoke hearts
• marinated mushrooms, cut in half
• grilled vegetables of any type such as zucchini, mushrooms, onions, or summer squash
• cubed fresh mozzarella cheese

More Pasta Salad Recipes:

• Zucchini Noodle Mock Pasta Salad
• Pasta Salad with Italian Sausage, Zucchini, Olives, and Peppers
• Low-Carb Italian Pasta Salad
• Kale Pasta Salad
• Spaghetti Pasta Salad

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Yield: 6 servings

Pesto Pasta Salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 25 minutes

This easy Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe has olives and roasted red peppers and uses pantry ingredients you probably keep in the house. You can make this with regular or low-carb pasta, whichever you prefer.

Ingredients

• one 12 oz. whole wheat Rotini pasta or one 14 oz. can Palmini Linguini (see notes)
• one 6 oz. can black olives
• one 12 oz. jar roasted red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup Newman’s Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (see notes)
• 1/3 cup pesto (see notes)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, or more
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. For either type of pasta, bring a medium-sized pan of water to a boil, adding a little salt to the water.
2. For Palmini Pasta, drain the noodles well and cut apart with kitchen shears. (For Rotini pasta, just open the box!)
3. Cook the pasta exactly 5 minutes for Palmini Pasta, or about 9 minutes for regular Rotini Pasta. (Check the package for cooking time.)
4. While pasta cooks, drain the jar of roasted red peppers well. (I found peppers already sliced in strips, but slice or chop if needed.)
5. Drain a can of black olives and cut in half.
6. When pasta is cooked the correct amount of time for the pasta you're using, drain pasta well and let cool about 10 minutes.
7. Combine Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link), with my Basil Pesto with Lemon or whatever pesto you're using.
8. After the pasta cools for 10 minutes, stir in enough dressing to coat the slightly-warm pasta. (You may not need all the dressing, but save the rest in case you want to add it later.)
9. Combine the pasta with dressing, diced red bell pepper, and olives. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge 1-3 hours.
10. To serve, mix in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more!) and a little more dressing if the salad seems dry.
11. Serve slightly chilled or at or room temperature.

Notes

I used Newman's Own Classic Oil and Vinegar Dressing (affiliate link) but any low-sugar vinaigrette will work. If you prefer a different commercial dressing, be sure it has less than 2-3 grams of sugar per serving. I used my Basil Pesto with Lemon for this salad, but you can use purchased basil pesto as well.

The usual nutritional information provided is for 4 servings of salad made with Palmini Pasta, but if you don't use the full amount of dressing for that smaller salad, some categories will be lower.

You can also make this salad with an 8 oz. package of Fiber Gourmet Light Rotini or Light Penne, which will be a bit high in carbs than the Palmini Pasta option but lower in carbs for the regular Rotini pasta.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION FOR ROTINI PASTA VERSION (6 servings):

Calories 242, Total Fat 13, Saturated Fat 2.7, Unsaturated Fat 9.7, Cholesterol 6.9, Sodium 452, Carbs 25, Fiber 2.8, Sugars 2.8, Protein 6.8.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3.9gUnsaturated Fat: 13.9gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 677mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4.2gSugar: 3.8gProtein: 6.2g

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This easy Pesto Pasta Salad can be low carb or high carb, depending on the pasta you choose. See nutritional information in the recipe for both versions. (You can also use Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta, which will be in-between the two options for carb counts.) Pesto is high in fat and the salad dressing, Parmesan Cheese, and olives all have some fat, so this would be a personal choice for the original South Beach Diet. If you did eat it for South Beach, the Palmini pasta version would work for all phases and the Rotini pasta version or Fiber Gourmet Pasta version would only work for Phase 2 or 3.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Pasta Recipes or Salad Recipes to find more salads like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Pesto Pasta Salad recipe was first posted in 2010 made with regular Rotini Pasta. After I became a fan of Palmini Low-Carb Pasta I updated the post in 2021 to include a version made with Palmini Pasta. It was last updated with more information and the option to use Fiber Gourmet Light Pasta in 2023.

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