Pesto Pasta Salad

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This salad has become one of my favourite dishes and is always a crowd pleaser. It is great accompaniment for a barbecue or picnic. It can be made a day in advance and taste better if it has been chilled completely in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. It is also really quick and easy to make.

Put on a large pot of water to boil, with a little salt. Once boiling add the pasta to the pot. Cook as per the directions on the packet. Mine took 15 minutes. Once cooked remove from the water and to drain completely. Allow to cool whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Pat dry the olives and slice to desired size. There is no right and wrong size when it comes to cutting them up. Now pat dry the feta to remove any moisture from the surface. Cut the feta into pieces similar to the olive. Finally pat the excess oil off the sun dried tomatoes and slice up.

Once the pasta has cooled, add the pesto, olive, feta and sun dried tomatoes. Stir to coat the pasta with the pesto and evenly distribute the other ingredients.

As mentioned earlier if possible chill it the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.


If you know that no one has a nut allergy I suggest adding some toasted pine nuts for crunch.

Until next time, happy cooking, Kate.

 ***Ingredients

  • 3 cups penne pasta
  • 1/2 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, slices
  • 100 grams feta
  • 180 grams basil pesto, click link for previously posted
  • toasted pine nuts, optional

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