Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Pesto Pasta Salad
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 18, 2008
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You will need one 8-ounce jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until just past al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta in colander, rinse with cold water until cool, drain once more, and transfer to large bowl.
- Puree ricotta and 2 tablespoons hot pasta water in food processor until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup pine nuts, Parmesan, oil, garlic, basil, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth. Stir pesto into pasta until well coated, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust consistency. Fold in remaining pine nuts. Season with salt. Serve.
- Make-Ahead: This salad can be refrigerated for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving and thin salads with a few tablespoons of warm water if needed.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
We found that raw vegetables yielded a particularly bland pesto salad. Garlic and olive oil were musts in this pesto, along with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Pureed ricotta cheese lent a mild flavor and a silky creaminess that unified the other ingredients.
Before You Begin
You will need one 8-ounce jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water and cook until just past al dente. Reserve 3/4 cup pasta water. Drain pasta in colander, rinse with cold water until cool, drain once more, and transfer to large bowl.
- Puree ricotta and 2 tablespoons hot pasta water in food processor until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup pine nuts, Parmesan, oil, garlic, basil, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth. Stir pesto into pasta until well coated, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust consistency. Fold in remaining pine nuts. Season with salt. Serve.
- Make-Ahead: This salad can be refrigerated for 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving and thin salads with a few tablespoons of warm water if needed.
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