Pesto Pasta Salad

This brand of prepared pesto tastes "off" to me every time, which is unfortunate because I LOVE pesto, and keep ordering recipes here that include it, and then am let down when they are not as good as they could be for me. I haven't figured out the issue yet. I can try to adapt the recipe/pesto, but it seems like extra work, waste, and expense. Still, nice idea and always quick. Summer is a great time for pasta salads! And this one has a little protein which is always good. ***July 18 PS I did fix the issue with the taste of the Colavita single-serving pouched pesto that wasn't working for me! It IS still extra work, which seems silly in a quick recipe, but it is still pretty easy and tastes good. I tried the recipe again; when I steamed the green beans in the microwave--I added just a little of some other fresh veg for color, crunch, extra vitamins and to stretch the recipe--I put a small amount of raw minced garlic and some flaked pepper in the covered steamer dish. After I chilled the whole completed recipe together overnight, I seasoned with a tiny bit of pink mineral salt. Seems to have done what I hoped it would: add compatible flavor and counterbalance the taste of the packet and the lactic acid/"off"oil or unexpected type of nuts. I think the main thing could even have been the chilling time/spending time in borosilicate glass container and both marinating a bit and "breathing out" the packet taste? Anyway, upped the rating since my slight issue of personal taste is fixed.

I make a world famous pasta salad, so I'm very picky on pasta salad, but I knew this was limited ingredients and it was good. I mean I'm not a huge fan of pesto. I kind of just ate up myself, added some vinegar to it and made it a little bit more flavorful but for a quick and easy you know lunch it was good.

I would have liked cherry tomatoes or even sun dried tomatoes or something similarly bright or juicy to cut through the pesto + pasta. Otherwise delicious

This is a great pasta salad that I'm going to make regularly because everyone loved it. Put it in an avocado green bowl and it's also the prettiest salad ever.

Yum! Really enjoyed this. I would have liked maybe one more mix in- maybe black olives? Or sub green beans for raw broccoli. I served this cold and it was a perfect summer side dish.

A delicious side meal that satisfies enough to be a meal. My husband likes it too, which says a lot, because he primarily likes dishes with meat.

Delicious! Added some chicken and green olives, enough for two meals. Also cooked a cut-up carrot with the pasta. Fun and I saved another dirty pan.

Pesto was good and the recipe was easy. Might try to add other things to it.

Super simple. Green beans don't always last, but a great recipe if you can find this pesto.

Pesto was too strong with basil, tasted nothing else. Made this to keep as a lunch side and it was dry by the second day. We added more parmesan and lemon.