Low Sodium Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Name: Low Sodium Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb pasta (I used bowties); 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved); 16 ounces fresh mozzarella; 3 cups fresh spinach (chopped); 1 cup fresh basil; 1 cup fresh spinach; 4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped); 1/3 cup walnuts; 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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This low sodium pesto pasta salad recipe is a delicious veggie-packed side dish, perfect for a potluck or party. With cooked pasta, cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and a salt-free pesto dressing.

This simple and tasty pasta salad is loaded with flavor and easy to make! Ready in 30 minutes, you can make this pasta salad ahead of time too.

Want more tasty low sodium salads? Try our low sodium creamy cucumber salad, low sodium chicken Caesar pasta salad, and our favorite low sodium chopped salad.

low sodium pasta salad with spinach, basil, mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes in a pesto dressing.

Table of Contents

It’s just not a BBQ without a pasta salad served as a side dish. As a born and raised Midwesterner, we had a pasta or macaroni salad served at any block party, cookout, holiday party, or BBQ. This Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette is a great low sodium twist on a classic Caprese salad.

Caprese salad is a classic Italian dish that features fresh mozzarella cheese, Genovese basil, and fresh garden tomatoes. We have a great low sodium caprese salad recipe on the site too! The classic combination can be found on restaurant menu’s everywhere, and is something we love making at home.

This pasta salad is simple to make, very cost-effective, and so delicious that everyone at your table will want to dig in. We always have pasta on hand, so I love whipping up a batch of pasta salad. It’s a great party side dish, or makes a wonderful lunch with low sodium grilled chicken.

Why This Recipe Works

It’s refreshing, earthy, and herby!
Packed with flavor – especially the garlicky dressing.
It’s great for entertaining
A tasty make-ahead recipe for pasta salad
This versatile side dish is great for almost any meal!

low salt pesto pasta salad with basil vinaigrette dressing.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Pasta: any shape of your choice. I have a ton of farfalle in my cupboard, so bow-ties it is. They also had 0 mg sodium per serving.
Tomatoes: I used cherry tomatoes, but any variety would be fine. Bonus points if they are from your garden!
Fresh Mozzarella balls: packed in water. Fresh mozzarella is usually lower in sodium than brick cheese. I used a mozzarella that had 70 mg of sodium per 3 ounce serving.
Spinach: I loaded this salad with fresh spinach because the mild flavor of baby spinach pairs so well with the sweet tomatoes and salty mozzarella. You can use arugula if you’re feeling spicy.
Pesto Vinaigrette: I blended a few simple ingredients in the blender to make this dressing. Fresh basil from the garden, a handful of fresh spinach, raw garlic, walnuts, balsamic vinegar for a little sweetness, and olive oil. A great salt-free dressing!

How to Make This Recipe

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and add to a large mixing bowl.
Add the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and chopped spinach to the pasta, toss to combine.
Add all the dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
Pour the dressing over the pasta, and toss together well, making sure all the pasta is evenly coated in dressing. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at 2 hours before serving. Drizzle a little extra olive oil and balsamic over the pasta salad right before serving.

unsalted pasta salad with no pesto healthy pesto vinaigrette low sodium salads with noodles.

Dietary Modifications

This recipe is naturally vegetarian. To make vegan or dairy free, just substitute in cubed marinated tofu instead of the cheese. The dressing is naturally vegan as well, so only the cheese has dairy.
For a gluten-free version, make sure to use gluten free pasta. And check to ensure there is no added gluten in the balsamic vinegar.

Recipe FAQs

How much sodium is in this low sodium pesto pasta salad?

This low sodium pasta salad has ~130 mg of sodium per serving. The homemade low sodium pesto vinaigrette dressing gives this dish a great flavorful without added salt.

What’s in this low sodium pasta salad?

This pasta salad has cooked noodles (I used farfalle, or bowties), fresh cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, fresh mozzarella pearls, and a homemade basil walnut pesto dressing with no added salt.

How to store low sodium pasta salad?

Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 4 days.

a bowl of low sodium caprese pasta salad with fresh mozzarella cheese cherry tomatoes and basil vinaigrette.

More Low Sodium Side Dish Ideas

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