20-Minute Pasta Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Here is my favorite pasta salad recipe, with a creamy pumpkin seed dressing made with tahini and fresh lemon juice, tossed with farfalle pasta, crisp bell peppers, peas, and cherry tomatoes.

This pasta salad is perfect for summer picnics and potlucks. I love making a big batch on Sunday so we have easy lunches ready for the week. Plus, it tastes even better the next day when all those flavors have had time to soak in!

What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

This recipe calls for farfalle, which are those cute bow-tie shaped noodles that work great in pasta salads because they hold onto the dressing really well. That said, you can swap in just about any short pasta shape you have in your pantry – penne, rotini, or fusilli would all be solid choices. The key is to cook your pasta just until it’s al dente, since it’ll continue to soften a bit as it sits with the dressing. If you’re looking for a whole wheat or gluten-free option, those work too, just keep an eye on the cooking time since it can vary by brand.

Options for Substitutions

This pasta salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Pumpkin seeds: If you don’t have pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pine nuts work great as alternatives. They’ll give you a similar nutty flavor and crunch.
• Farfalle: Any short pasta shape will do the trick here – try rotini, penne, or fusilli. They all hold onto the dressing nicely.
• Tahini: No tahini? You can use almond butter or cashew butter instead. The flavor will be slightly different but still creamy and delicious.
• Parsley: Fresh basil or cilantro make good substitutes if you’re not a parsley fan. You could also use a mix of herbs for more complexity.
• Agave syrup: Honey, maple syrup, or even a pinch of sugar will work just fine to balance out the lemon’s tartness.
• Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works, or you can swap in cucumber, zucchini, or snap peas for different textures and flavors.
• Cherry tomatoes: Regular tomatoes cut into chunks work perfectly, or try sun-dried tomatoes for a more intense flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with pasta salad is rinsing your cooked farfalle with cold water, which washes away the starch that helps the pesto cling to each piece – instead, drain it well and toss it with the pesto while it’s still warm for better flavor absorption.

Another common error is making the pesto too thick, so add that hot water gradually and blend until you get a smooth, pourable consistency that will coat the pasta evenly rather than clumping in spots.

Don’t forget to salt your pasta water generously (it should taste like the sea), since this is your only chance to season the pasta itself, and be careful not to overblend the pumpkin seed pesto – you want it smooth but still with a bit of texture.

For the best results, let the salad sit for 10-15 minutes before serving so the flavors can meld together, and if you’re making it ahead, reserve some extra pesto to stir in later since pasta absorbs liquid as it sits.

What to Serve With Pasta Salad?

This pasta salad is pretty filling on its own, but it’s perfect alongside grilled chicken, fish, or even some marinated tofu if you want to add more protein to your meal. It also works great as a side dish at summer barbecues next to burgers, hot dogs, or grilled vegetables. Since the salad has a nice lemony tahini dressing, it pairs well with Mediterranean-style dishes like falafel or kebabs. You could also serve it with some warm pita bread or naan on the side for scooping up any extra dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta salad actually gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours as the flavors blend together. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You might need to add a splash of water or lemon juice before serving since the pasta can absorb some of the dressing over time.

Make Ahead: This is a great recipe to prep the night before a picnic or potluck. The vegetables hold up well and the pumpkin seed dressing doesn’t get watery like some other dressings do. Just give it a good stir before serving and maybe toss in a few extra fresh cherry tomatoes if you want.

Serve: I like to take this out of the fridge about 15 minutes before eating so it’s not ice cold. Cold pasta salad is fine, but letting it warm up just a bit brings out more flavor. If it seems a little dry, drizzle on some olive oil or extra lemon juice and toss well.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 900-1000
• Protein: 28-32 g
• Fat: 28-34 g
• Carbohydrates: 132-145 g

Ingredients

For the pumpkin seed pesto:

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 3.5 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for best acidity)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup parsley
• 2 tbsp tahini (I use Soom Foods for a smoother consistency)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 2 tsp hot water

For the pasta salad:

• 2 cups farfalle (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 3/4 cup peas
• 1.5 bell pepper
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Start Pasta Water

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
• Salt for pasta water

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil—this will be your pasta water.

While waiting for it to boil, prep your vegetables: mince the garlic cloves finely, chop the bell pepper into bite-sized pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes, and roughly chop the parsley.

Having everything ready before you start cooking ensures smooth workflow and prevents bottlenecks.

Step 2: Cook Pasta and Thaw Peas

• 2 cups farfalle pasta
• 3/4 cup peas

Once your water is boiling, add the farfalle and cook according to package directions until al dente—I always use Barilla because it holds its texture beautifully.

While the pasta cooks, place the peas in a bowl and let them thaw at room temperature or run them under warm water to speed up the process.

Drain the cooked pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl, setting it aside.

Step 3: Make the Pumpkin Seed Pesto

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 3.5 tbsp lemon juice
• minced garlic from Step 1
• chopped parsley from Step 1
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 2 tsp hot water

In a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, minced garlic from Step 1, chopped parsley from Step 1, tahini, salt, pepper, and agave syrup.

Blend for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes relatively smooth with a slight texture from the seeds.

Add the hot water one spoonful at a time, pulsing between additions, until you reach a smooth, pourable consistency.

I find that this gradual water addition gives you much better control over the final texture than adding it all at once.

Step 4: Combine and Finish the Salad

• cooked pasta from Step 2
• pumpkin seed pesto from Step 3
• chopped bell pepper from Step 1
• halved cherry tomatoes from Step 1
• thawed peas from Step 2

Pour the pumpkin seed pesto over the cooked pasta in the bowl.

Add the chopped bell pepper from Step 1, halved tomatoes from Step 1, and thawed peas from Step 2.

Toss everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure the pesto coats all the pasta and vegetables evenly.

The warm pasta will help distribute the pesto’s flavors throughout the dish.

Step 5: Serve

Divide the warm pasta salad into serving bowls or plates and enjoy immediately.

The warm temperature allows all the flavors to shine together beautifully.

20-Minute Pasta Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Delicious 20-Minute Pasta Salad with Pumpkin Seeds recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 950 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pumpkin seed pesto::

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 3.5 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for best acidity)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup parsley
• 2 tbsp tahini (I use Soom Foods for a smoother consistency)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp agave syrup
• 2 tsp hot water

For the pasta salad::

• 2 cups farfalle (I always use Barilla for the best al dente texture)
• 3/4 cup peas
• 1.5 bell pepper
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

Instructions

 

• Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil—this will be your pasta water. While waiting for it to boil, prep your vegetables: mince the garlic cloves finely, chop the bell pepper into bite-sized pieces, halve the cherry tomatoes, and roughly chop the parsley. Having everything ready before you start cooking ensures smooth workflow and prevents bottlenecks.
• Once your water is boiling, add the farfalle and cook according to package directions until al dente—I always use Barilla because it holds its texture beautifully. While the pasta cooks, place the peas in a bowl and let them thaw at room temperature or run them under warm water to speed up the process. Drain the cooked pasta and transfer to a large mixing bowl, setting it aside.
• In a food processor or blender, combine the pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, minced garlic from Step 1, chopped parsley from Step 1, tahini, salt, pepper, and agave syrup. Blend for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes relatively smooth with a slight texture from the seeds. Add the hot water one spoonful at a time, pulsing between additions, until you reach a smooth, pourable consistency. I find that this gradual water addition gives you much better control over the final texture than adding it all at once.
• Pour the pumpkin seed pesto over the cooked pasta in the bowl. Add the chopped bell pepper from Step 1, halved tomatoes from Step 1, and thawed peas from Step 2. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly, making sure the pesto coats all the pasta and vegetables evenly. The warm pasta will help distribute the pesto's flavors throughout the dish.
• Divide the warm pasta salad into serving bowls or plates and enjoy immediately. The warm temperature allows all the flavors to shine together beautifully.