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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Salad

    Pesto Casarecce Pasta with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Artichoke

    📋 Modified: Jul 31, 2022 by 👩🏻‍🍳 Jami Powell · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Gorgeous baby heirloom tomatoes, big hunks of marinated artichoke, and fresh homemade pesto make this dish a winner! If you love fresh flavors and need some pasta to fill you up, then add this Pesto Casarecce Pasta with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Artichoke recipe to your to-do list. As an added bonus, it uses only a few simple ingredients and is under 15 minutes to prepare.

    Casarecce pasta with baby heirloom tomatoes and artichoke hero 1

    This gorgeous pasta dish is filled with one of our favorite noodles. Casarecce, which is a traditional short noodle from Sicily, is a loosely rolled pasta which is perfect for holding pesto and also makes a nice presentation.

    Why we love this recipe:

    • It's fresh - Garden tomatoes, homemade pesto, lemon, and basil leaves add so much freshness to this pasta!
    • It's easy - If your pesto is already made, you can put this pasta dish together in under 15 minutes.
    • It's chilled - Nothing like a good pasta salad to keep in the refrigerator for leftovers the next day. No reheating, just quick eating.
    • It's filling - We hope you're hungry. Pasta will really fill you up!

    Looking for more amazing pasta recipes? Try this Bay Scallops with Pasta and White Wine Sauce, or this Bucatini Alla Carbonara with Prosciutto and Peas.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top Tips
    • More Recipes
    • FAQ
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Food Safety
    Casarecce pasta ingredients 1
    Pasta caserecce ingredients 2

    Ingredients

    • Pasta - We used Casarecce pasta because we just love the shape of these noodles.
    • Pesto - Homemade pesto is the best. Some fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon, and parmesan are the key ingredients.
    • Tomatoes - We found these beautiful baby heirloom tomatoes at our local farmer's market.
    • Artichoke hearts - We prefer the marinated artichoke hearts for this salad.
    • Mozzarella cheese - Mozzarella snacking cheese works well. You could also cut up some fresh mozzarella into little cubes.
    • Basil - Fresh basil really makes a difference.
    • Lemon - Fresh lemon is preferred.
    • Salt - A little salt for the pasta boil.
    • Pepper - Fresh cracked pepper is best.

    Note: Refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities.

    Baby heirloom tomatoes cut on cutting board
    pasta caserecce in a mixing bowl without dressing
    pasta caserecce in a mixing bowl being mixed with pesto

    Instructions

    How to Make Casarecce Pasta

    STEP ONE: Boil the Pasta

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a little salt. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander when finished and set aside.

    STEP TWO: Dice the Vegetables and Herbs

    Dice all of the baby heirloom tomatoes in half. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the basil leaves, rolling them together, then cutting them into thin ribbons.

    STEP THREE: Mix in the Pesto and Other Ingredients

    Combined the drained pasta with all other ingredients except the mozzarella cheese.

    STEP FOUR: Chill and Serve

    Place the pasta and mozzarella cheese into the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Remove the pasta and mix in the mozzarella cheese. Add fresh basil leaves for garnish if desired.

    Substitutions

    • Tomatoes - Standard grape or cherry tomatoes can be used in place of heirloom tomatoes.
    • Artichoke - The non-marinated variety would also work well.
    • Pasta - Choose any type of pasta you like!

    Variations

    • Method - Instead of mixing this salad and eating it chilled, you can make a dinner version. Roast the tomatoes, make a pesto cream sauce, then add fresh parmesan instead of mozzarella. You can even add chicken if you wish! See our Casarecce Pasta with Chicken Recipe for more information.

    Equipment

    This post shows some of our kitchen essentials. Please visit our shop if you would like to see more of our favorites. These are Amazon affiliate links and we earn commission from qualifying purchases.

    • Pasta pot
    • Colander
    • Cutting board
    • Knife
    • Citrus Squeezer

    Storage

    Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

    This dish is not freezer friendly.

    Note: Refer to Top Tips below for more storage and reheating tips.

    Top Tips

    Chilling the mozzarella snack cheese separately from the warm pasta will prevent the cheese from melting.

    Casarecce pasta with baby heirloom tomatoes and artichoke feature image

    More Recipes

    Have leftover ingredients?

    • Use up any leftover pesto you have on hand by adding it to this Prosciutto Caprese Sandwich.
    • Have excess baby heirloom tomatoes? Try this Heirloom Cherry Tomato and Asparagus Quiche.

    In the mood for a similar dish?

    • Baby Heirloom Tomato Salad with Feta
    • Red Pepper and Artichoke Salad

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    FAQ

    How do you pronounce casarecce?

    can-sah-ret-chee

    What is casarecce?

    In Italian, casereccio means homemade. It is a pasta that is short and loosely rolled, almost tube-like in appearance. Casarecce is great for holding traditional Italian sauces like marinara, pesto, ragu sauces, etc.

    Casarecce pasta close up in white bowl

    📖 Recipe

    Casarecce pasta with baby heirloom tomatoes and artichoke feature image

    Pesto Casarecce Pasta with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Artichoke

    Jami Powell
    Gorgeous baby heirloom tomatoes, big hunks of marinated artichoke, and fresh homemade pesto make this dish a winner! If you love fresh flavors and need some pasta to fill you up, then add this Pesto Casarecce Pasta with Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Artichoke recipe to your to-do list. As an added bonus, it uses only a few simple ingredients and is under 15 minutes to prepare.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Lunch
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8

    Equipment

    • Pasta pot
    • Colander
    • Cutting board
    • Knife
    • Citrus squeezer

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 lb Casarecce pasta
    • ¾ cup Pesto
    • 1.5 pints Baby heirloom tomatoes
    • 1 33oz jar Artichoke hearts (drained)
    • 4 packs Mozzarella snacking cheese (about 12 balls)
    • 6-8 qty Fresh basil leaves
    • ½ qty Lemon (juice of)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt (for pasta boil)
    • ¼ teaspoon Pepper (or to taste)

    Instructions
     

    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a little salt. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and set aside.
    • Dice all of the baby heirloom tomatoes in half. Chiffonade the basil by stacking the basil leaves, rolling them together, then cutting them into thin ribbons.
    • Combined the drained pasta with all other ingredients (except the mozzarella cheese).
    • Place the pasta and mozzarella cheese into the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour.
    • Remove the pasta and mix in the mozzarella cheese. Add fresh basil leaves for garnish if desired.

    Notes

     
    Storage Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. 
    Freeze This dish is not freezer friendly.
    Substitutions
    • Tomatoes - Standard grape or cherry tomatoes can be used in place of heirloom tomatoes.
    • Artichoke - The non-marinated variety would also work well.
    • Pasta - Choose any type of pasta you like!
    Nutrition The provided nutrition information is only an estimate.
    Keyword pasta salad, pesto, salad
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @powell.family.cooking on Instagram

    Food Safety

    • Wash hands and create a clean work area.
    • Rinse fresh produce thoroughly.
    • Do not use the same cutting board or utensils on cooked food or produce, that previously touched raw meat or seafood.
    • Do not leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov

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    Welcome to Powell Family Cooking! Our family enjoys creating delicious meals with healthy ingredients that can be shared by many. Our goal is to provide simple, elegant dish ideas for weeknight dinners or entertaining guests. Many of the recipes on our website have been passed down from family and friends. We hope you are inspired to do the same.

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