Name: Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1-lb. pasta*; ½ cup pesto; ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved; ½ cup sliced cucumber; ¼ cup toasted pine nuts; 1 ball burrata; ¼ cup fresh basil, julienned

This Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata comes packed with the super fresh flavors of tomato, cucumber and basil. And, of course, is tossed with delicious pesto and topped with creamy burrata. Enjoy!

pesto pasta salad topped with burrata in a bowl, ready to be served

Pesto Pasta Salad of Your Dreams

You’re going to love this pesto pasta salad that’s topped with deliciously creamy burrata. It’s the perfect salad for a summer picnic or a veggie-packed lunch. We’ll walk you through how to make this pasta salad, what to pair it with and some easy ingredient swaps.

pesto pasta salad ingredients in bowls, ready to be tossed together

Ingredients – What You Need

This pesto pasta salad comes together in 7 simple ingredients. You’ll need:

Cavatappi noodles
Pesto
Cherry tomatoes
Sliced cucumber
Toasted pine nuts
Ball burrata
Fresh basil

Easy Ingredient Swaps

Burrata: we love the rich and creamy flavor that burrata gives this salad, but mini mozzarella balls are a nice alternative if you don’t have burrata on hand.

Cherry tomatoes: feel free to use any tomato you have on hand! Grape tomatoes or a larger variety of tomato sliced with the seeds removed are great alternatives.

Cucumbers: if your cucumbers are on the larger size, feel free to slice into coins and then 1/4s. English cucumbers are perfect for this salad, too 😀

Pine nuts: don’t have access to pine nuts? Sunflower seeds or chopped pecans will complement this salad well, too.

Cavatappi noodles: choose your own adventure with the noodles in this pasta salad! We love the look of twisty cavatappi noodles, but any noodle will do.

want to make your own pesto?

Making your own pesto is quite easy! Follow along with this Easy Homemade Pesto or this Vegan Pesto on our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds.

pesto pasta salad ingredients in a bowl and topped with a ball of burrata

How to Make Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata

This pesto pasta salad could not be easier! Simply follow along with these steps, top with delicious burrata, and ENJOY 😀

Cook Pasta

Cook your pasta in salted boiling water according to the box directions.

Don’t forget: Before you drain the pasta, reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid for later. This will help thicken your pesto sauce!

Whisk Pesto & Reserved Pasta Water

In a large bowl, whisk together the pesto and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta.

Toss Ingredients Together

Add the following ingredients to the pesto, and toss to combine:

cooked pasta
cherry tomatoes
cucumber
pine nuts

another view of pesto pasta salad with burrata in a bowl

Burrata Time

Break up the burrata into bite-size pieces and add it to the pasta salad. The ooey gooey middle will add delicious flavor as it mixes into your pasta salad.

Final Touches

Sprinkle over the basil and season to your taste preference with salt and pepper.

Serve & Enjoy!

Enjoy this pesto pasta salad with burrata chilled or at room temperature.

a ball of burrata pulled apart into chunks and placed over pesto pasta salad

Serving Suggestions

Serve this pesto pasta salad as a deliciously fresh summer side, or top with your favorite protein for a main meal. Our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds has some amazing grilling recipes that would complement this pesto pasta salad, including:

How to Store Pesto Pasta Salad

Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Feel free to toss in additional sliced tomatoes and chopped basil to freshen up the pasta salad when serving as leftovers.