This vibrant pasta salad builds its flavor from a bold, garlicky basil pesto, loaded with pine nuts and blended with good olive oil until it turns silky and bright green. Tender rotini gets tossed in that pesto until every piece is coated, then folded together with juicy halved cherry tomatoes and peppery baby arugula for freshness and crunch. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end wakes everything up, balancing the richness of the sauce with a clean, citrusy snap. Serve it straight away while the pasta is still slightly warm, or chill it for a couple hours for an easy make-ahead lunch or potluck side. It's a colorful, herb-forward dish that fits neatly into a plant-based spread without sacrificing any of that classic pesto flavor.
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Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the gluten free rotini according to the package directions until tender with no chalky center, typically 10–12 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking, and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking. Spread on a sheet pan or large plate and let cool for 10–15 minutes.
While the pasta cools, make the pesto: combine the basil, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 8–10 pulses. Add the finely grated Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper, then pulse 4–5 more times. With the processor running, stream in the 1/2 cup olive oil in a steady pour until the pesto is smooth and bright green, scraping down the sides once.
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