Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

This creamy pesto pasta salad with butterbeans is the perfect, speedy meal. It’s packed with 20g of protein and 13g of fibre making it the perfect healthy lunch or dinner.

I’ve mixed pesto with yoghurt to add protein and reduce calories. Butterbeans add fibre whilst green beans, spinach and tomatoes add plenty of nutrients. This makes perfect meal prep, especially when you’re pushed for time.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s filling! The addition of butter beans and a variety of veg adds plenty of satiating fibre.
• It’s great meal prep – This pesto pasta salad will keep for 2-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
• It’s simple – there’s no complicated extra ingredients in this recipe making it student-friendly!

Creamy pesto pasta: Ingredients

To make this creamy pesto pasta salad you will need:

• Dried pasta
• Green beans
• Yoghurt
• Pesto
• Cherry tomatoes
• Spinach
• Butter beans
• Salt, pepper, and chilli flakes

How to make creamy pesto pasta salad

Firstly, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Tip in your pasta whilst you trim and chop the green beans into 2cm pieces. 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, tip in the beans. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Add the pesto and yoghurt to a large bowl and mix until well combined.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the spinach.

Add the tomatoes, spinach, pasta, green beans, and butter beans to the bowl with the pesto sauce. Finally, mix well and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chilli flakes.

Similar recipes

If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

• Pesto tortellini pasta salad
• Pesto pasta bake
• Pesto mozzarella grilled cheese

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

Healthy creamy pesto pasta salad. Made with butter beans, cherry tomatoes, green beans, and spinach.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 585

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 100g dried pasta shapes
• 100g green beans
• 75g natural or Greek yoghurt
• 5 tbsp pesto
• 150g cherry tomatoes
• 1-2 handful(s) spinach
• 400g tin butter beans drained and rinsed
• salt, pepper, and chilli flakes to taste

Method

 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add in the pasta. Meanwhile, trim and chop the green beans into 2cm pieces. 5 minutes before the pasta is cooked, add in the green beans. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Add the yoghurt and pesto to a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined.
3. Halve the cherry tomatoes and roughly chop the spinach.
4. Add the tomatoes, spinach, pasta, green beans, and butter beans to the bowl with the pesto sauce. Mix well and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chilli flakes.