Summer Veggie Pesto Pasta Salad
A delicious pasta salad featuring garden fresh vegetables and an almond-hemp heart basil pesto.
Equipment
- stove
- food processor
Ingredients
Pesto Ingredients
- 1 cup packed fresh basil
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes 8
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp pepper
- salt to taste optional
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta*
- 3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup zucchini cubed
- 1 cup carrots julienned
- ½ cup roasted peppers
- 1 cup cucumber cubed
- ½ cup purple onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives quartered
- 1 cup pesto recipe above
Instructions
- Process all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and until minced well. But be careful not to process it too much. You don’t want it to be smooth.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain and rinse with cool water.
- Add the pasta back into the pot, along with the remaining pasta salad ingredients. Gently toss to combine.
- Store any unused portion covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
* I used chickpea pasta; but you can use any kind of pasta in this salad.