Easy Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad with Peas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
A refreshing cold pasta salad featuring al dente penne in a stabilized pesto-mayo-sour cream dressing, brightened with thawed peas and tangy sun-dried tomatoes. Perfectly balanced texture and flavor from precise emulsification and chilling techniques.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 8
- Total Time: 23
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Chilling
- Cuisine: Adapted American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dried penne pasta
Basil pesto, no residual alcohol
Mayonnaise
Sour cream, full-fat
Sugar snap peas, thawed
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Instructions
Boil 4 cups water and add 16 oz penne pasta; cook 8 minutes to al dente
Drain pasta and rinse immediately under cold water until fully chilled
In large bowl, whisk together ½ cup pesto, ½ cup mayonnaise, and ¼ cup sour cream until emulsified
Add cold pasta, 1 cup thawed snap peas, and ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Stir gently until dressing coats all pasta evenly
Chill salad for at least 60 minutes before serving to allow starch recrystallization
Notes
Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes for richest flavor (no added alcohol)
Drain excess moisture from thawed peas to maintain texture
Garnish with crumbled Parmesan (optional, use vegetarian snipped basil for a vegan alternative)
Store in refrigerator up to 2 days