I have the dish you’ll want for breakfast, lunch and dinner all weekend long.
And probably for the rest of the summer too. Sound good? Great.
Pistachio pesto pasta salad only gets better with one addition: burrata. Tangy, creamy, slightly pillowy and utterly luxurious, burrata lifts this salad into ridiculous territory. The combination of crunchy pistachios, bright herbs and creamy cheese is pure summer magic.
If this looks familiar, you might be remembering a similar dish from last year — a warm bucatini with burrata mixed in. This version is different: it’s a chilled pistachio basil pesto pasta salad dressed with burrata and meant to be served cold.
Honestly, Eddie and I have been eating this non-stop for dinner and sometimes lunch. We make it as a side every night because it’s that good — and Eddie is definitely someone who insists on a side. He’ll drive home and look forward to the pasta salad more than anything else on the plate.
You can serve this warm, but I’m sharing the chilled version so you can pack it for holiday gatherings, picnics or the 4th of July weekend. The flavors are even better after it sits in the fridge for a few hours.
If you’ve been following along here, you know I’ve loved pistachio pesto for years — it’s buttery, toasty and deeply flavorful. I like a little arugula mixed in for peppery bite and a touch of fresh oregano for a bright herbal note. Fresh oregano is milder and more fragrant than the dried version, and it’s one of my favorite herbs straight from the garden.
Are you celebrating the 4th this weekend or on Tuesday? We’ll do a pool party with lots of good food, fireworks and sparklers — though I’ll probably be ready for bed early like an old grandma. Regardless, promise me you’ll make this bowl sometime in the next few days. Breakfast, lunch or dinner — it works for everything.
This recipe makes a generous amount and stores well in the fridge. If you happen to have extra pesto, use it on pizza, grilled chicken, or stirred into roasted vegetables — it’s a versatile condiment you’ll want on hand.
Pistachio Basil Pesto Pasta Salad with Burrata
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Ingredients
Pistachio Basil Pesto
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves torn
- 1/2 cup fresh arugula
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/3 cup finely grated pecorino romano cheese
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pasta
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 1 ball burrata cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
- 1 handful fresh basil for tossing
Instructions
Pistachio Basil Pesto
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Place the pistachios, basil, arugula, oregano, garlic and pecorino in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped. With the processor running, stream in 1/3 cup olive oil, adding more as needed to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt to taste. This makes a bit more pesto than the recipe requires; store any extra in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
Pasta
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Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and immediately toss with a little olive oil and several spoonfuls of the pesto — use as much as you like. Pull apart the burrata and fold it into the pasta along with the grated parmesan. You can serve the salad warm, but chilling it in the refrigerator for a few hours deepens the flavor.
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Before serving, top with the chopped pistachios and extra fresh basil leaves.
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P.S. If you have extra pesto, try it on pizza, grilled meats or roasted vegetables — it’s fantastic anywhere you’d use basil pesto.