free counter with statistics Print

Christmas Pasta Salad (An Easy Make-Ahead Recipe!)

A beautiful plate of a homemade, elegant, and vibrant Christmas Pasta Salad, being served with a thick slice of a glazed ham at a Christmas dinner.

A festive and flavorful recipe for a ‘Christmas Pasta Salad,’ perfect as a colorful side dish for a holiday meal. This easy, cold pasta salad features a unique and vibrant pesto made from blanched broccoli, fresh spinach, basil, and almonds. The creamy green pesto is tossed with cooled rigatoni pasta, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and small mozzarella balls. The red and green ingredients give the dish its festive ‘Christmas’ appearance.

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 2 heads broccoli (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into florets
  • 1 pound mezze rigatoni or other short tubular pasta
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving
  • 2 roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces small mozzarella balls (pearls)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon and plunge it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
  2. Return the water in the pot to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, transfer it to a large bowl, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes until cooled.
  3. Make the Pesto: While the pasta is cooling, combine the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives, and 1/4 cup of water in a blender. Puree until the mixture is completely smooth.
  4. Assemble the Salad: Pour the prepared pesto over the cooled pasta. Add the reserved blanched broccoli, the sliced roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and white wine vinegar. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt.
  5. Toss everything gently until well combined.
  6. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl, sprinkle with more chopped chives, and serve. The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before serving.

Notes

  • This is a great make-ahead side dish for a holiday party, as it’s served cold and can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
  • Blanching the broccoli and then shocking it in cold water is a key technique that keeps it perfectly crisp-tender and vibrant green.
  • The pesto is a unique, nut-based sauce that gets its creaminess from the blended ingredients, not from dairy cream.
  • The red and green colors from the peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and pesto give this dish its festive, Christmas-themed appearance.

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/christmas-pasta-salad/

matadorbet girişmatadorbet güncel girişbetturkey güncel girişbetturkey girişbetturkeybetcio girişbetcio güncel girişbetciobetebet girişbetebetbetebet güncel girişbetpas girişbetpasbetpas güncel girişkavbet girişmavibetmavibetkavbetkavbet girişkavbetpusulabetpusulabetkavbet girişkavbetkavbet girişkavbetbetpuanbetpuan girişbetpuan güncel girişimajbet girisimajbetimajbetimajbetimajbet girisimajbetholiganbetholiganbetholiganbetholiganbetholiganbetholiganbet girişbetzulabetzulabetzula girisbetzulabetzula girisbetzulabetnanobetnano girişdeneme bonusu veren sitelerdeneme bonusu veren siteler 2026deneme bonusubet puanbet puan girişbet puan güncel girişkralbetkralbet girişkralbet güncel girişjojobet girişjojobetjojobet güncelcasinolevant girişcasinolevantcasinolevant güncel girişcasino levantcasino levant girişcasino levant güncel girişMatbetcasinolevantcasinolevant güncel girişcasinolevant girişcasino levant girişcasino levantcasino levant güncel girişlunabetlunabet girişlunabet güncel girişbetciobetcio güncel girişbetcio girişbetpas girişbetpas güncel girişbetpasmeritkingmeritking girişmeritking güncelbetsmovebetsmove girişbetasusbetasusbetasus girisbetasusbetasusbetasus girismatbet güncel girişmatbet girişhitbethitbet girişhitbethilbethilbethilbet girişimajbetcasibomcasibom girişcasibom güncel girişalobetalobet girişalobet güncel girişpadişahbetpadişahbetpadişahbet girişgalabet girişgalabet güncel girişgalabetvaycasinovaycasino girişmegabahismegabahis güncel girişmegabahis girişhitbetjokerbetjokerbetjokerbet girişjokerbet güncel girişgalabetgalabet girişgalabet güncel girişpoliwin girişpoliwinpoliwin güncel girişkavbetvizyonbet girişvizyonbetvizyonbet güncel girişbetasusbetasus girişbetasus güncel girişaresbetaresbet girişaresbet güncel girişpadişahbetpadişahbet güncel girişholiganbet girişholiganbet güncel girişholiganbetbetsmovebetsmove güncel girişbetsmove girişjojobetjojobet girişnakitbahisnakitbahis girişnakitbahis güncel girişcratosroyalbetcratosroyalbet girişcratosroyalbet güncel girişmarsbahismarsbahis güncel girişmarsbahis girişkavbet girişmarsbahis güncel girişmarsbahismarsbahis girişvevobahiskavbetkavbet girişArtemisbet GirişArtemisbetBetasusBetasus GirişBetasusBetasus Girişbetsmovebetsmove güncel girişbetsmove girişArtemisbetArtemisbet Girişlunabetlunabet güncel girişlunabet girişmeritkingjojobetjojobet girişjojobet güncel girişMegabahisMegabahisjojobetjojobetjojobet girişjojobetjojobet girişholiganbet girişholiganbetpusulabetholiganbetholiganbet girişMegabahis Girişjojobet güncel girişMegabahis güncel girişjojobet girişjojobet güncel girişMegabahis Girişjojobet girişMegabahis güncel girişjojobetjojobet girişholiganbetholiganbet girişultrabet girişultrabetcasino levant girişcasino levant güncelcasino levantcasinolevantcasinolevant girişcasinolevant güncel