Pesto Pasta Salad
Making your own pesto is worth the extra effort & you'll see why when you make this pasta salad. I put my own spin on your classic pesto recipe, subbing half of the basil for arugula & pine nuts for pistachios. The end result is light, fresh, full of herbs & vegetables. It’s the perfect side or main dish.
Serves: 5-6
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup roughly chopped basil
1 cup roughly chopped arugula
1/8 cup whole pistachos (about 40)
1/2 cup vegan parmesan (I used Violife)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 lb fusilli noodles
1 large zucchini
Half of a large red onion
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup Yves vegan salami
1/4 cup vegan feta (I used Follow Your Heart)
Salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
Crush pistachios into small pieces and toast for about 3-4 mins in a pan with 1 tsp olive oil.
Roughly chop your basil & arugula, removing as many stems as you can & add it to the blender with the olive oil. Then, add your toasted pistachios, parmesan, lemon juice & salt. Pulse/blend your pesto until it is slightly chunky but mixed well, adding more olive oil if needed. Taste & adjust salt or lemon juice if needed. Set aside in the fridge.
Heat water to a boil for your pasta.
Cut zucchini into thick rounds & season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper. Cook on medium high until browned on both sides, about 5 mins per side. Remove pan from the heat & set aside to cool while prepping other ingredients.
Salt the now boiling water & add your pasta, cooking to al dente according to package directions.
While your pasta is cooking, thinly slice the red onion, quarter your cherry tomatoes & cut the vegan salami slices into cubes. Once the zucchini slices are cooled, cut them into cubes.
Strain pasta noodles & rinse with cold water to remove any excess starch. Add pasta to a large mixing bowl. Add pesto, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, salami & feta cheese to the bowl. Mix very well, serve & enjoy!
