Italian Pesto Pasta Salad Jars: Make-Ahead Fusilli with Cherry Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Cook the fusilli in well-salted water 1 minute past al dente, drain and rinse briefly under cold water.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 12 oz fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 8 oz mini mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, halved
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the fusilli in well-salted water 1 minute past al dente, drain and rinse briefly under cold water.
2. Whisk the pesto, olive oil and red wine vinegar into a loose dressing.
3. Toss the cooled pasta with two-thirds of the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon the remaining dressing into the bottoms of 4 wide-mouth jars.
5. Layer in the tomatoes, roasted peppers and olives, then the dressed pasta and mozzarella.
6. Top with arugula and Parmesan, seal and refrigerate up to 4 days.
7. At lunchtime, shake the jar or tip it into a bowl so the dressing coats everything.
8. Pasta salad, or insalata di pasta, is Italy's warm-weather picnic staple, built on the Ligurian love of basil pesto and good olive oil. Spiral fusilli is the perfect shape because it traps the pesto in every twist, and layering the jar with greens on top keeps it bright and crisp all week.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 560 kcal
• Protein: 22g
• Fat: 27g
• Carbohydrates: 58g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 690mg