Pesto Pasta Salad

Last week I woke up with a stiff, painful neck. You know the feeling, right? You feel like Frankenstein because you can’t move your head independent of the rest of your body. It was to the point that I could barely function because it hurt to move, pick anything up, or even rest in a comfortable position.

I had a Groupon for a massage I’d purchased a few months ago, so I made an appointment hoping it would help. The massage therapist asked a lot of questions trying to get to the root cause of my pain. I told her I was a blogger and sat at my computer a lot.

This led to questions about my blog and into diet and lifestyle. She casually asked, “What do you think of the Paleo diet? I’ve been thinking about trying it.” I told her my opinion, which is the same as just about every diet you might consider. For the average person, I don’t think it’s wise to cut out entire food groups. Yes, for health reasons certain individuals do thrive on grain-free diets. Some health conditions require low-carb living. Do I think that’s the way everyone should eat because of that? No. If you like grains, they can be a part of your diet in a balanced, healthful way. They provide nutrients. Like anything, you can overdo it and eat too many. 

But do you really want to live a life without pasta? I don’t. We can balance it out with spaghetti squash and zoodles, but a life without pasta? No, thanks.

Pasta salads don’t have the best reputation, but you can definitely make a healthy pasta salad. For this pesto pasta salad, I kept it simple. I used a whole grain pasta, and instead of a bottled salad dressing like you often see, I used my Spinach Basil Pesto. It’s full of flavor and the spinach component adds a powerful vegetable to the dish. 

Halved grape tomatoes finish the salad. It’s super easy to make and versatile as well. Need a dinner side? Check. Main course? It can do that, too.  Potluck salad? Yep. Lunch for days? YES.

For the record, the massage did help my neck immensely, but five days later it’s still sore. Lots and lots of anti-inflammatory foods are being consumed over here. Along with this Pesto Pasta Salad. #sorrynotsorry

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For a tasty twist, try to make this recipe with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto! You might also love this Bowtie Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing!