Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a new recipe for me and I love it. A much needed break from regular Italian dressing style pasta salad.

First we need to make the pesto. After making your own pesto and realizing how easy is it, you will not need to buy pesto again! For those who grow a lot of basil, you can double/triple this recipe and freeze it in small containers.



2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive
1/3 cup of nutritional yeast or Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pluck off basil leaves and measure 2 cups packed. Add to processor along with pine nuts. Pulse a few times until basil is chopped. Add garlic and pulse a few more times. Combine a little oil and pulse. Keep doing so until you used 1/2 cup of oil. Add yeast/cheese and pulse until blended.

If you are dairy-free then nutritional yeast is good to have on hand. When kept in a cool dark place and in an air tight container, it can last indefinitely. It is an inactive yeast and found in the bulk aisle of natural food markets. It is a complete protein and has some the of B-complex vitamins too. It has a cheesy/nutty flavor and can be used in many recipes to thicken or add that cheese flavor.

This can be frozen in an air tight container as well.

Now for the pasta. I use rotini pasta because the pesto get tucked into the little spirals. I cook the pasta, drain, place in a bowl, set in refrigerator and then move on to making the pesto.



Almost a full box of pasta which is about 4 cups and some will be left over
1 cup pesto
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup frozen peas, cooked
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a few drops extra
12 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta and refrigerate. Make pesto. Add pesto to pasta along with pine nuts, and tomatoes. Mix. If you feel it is a bit dry then add a few drops of oil and mix again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and refrigerate. You could also add olives, but we aren't fans. I was going to add goat cheese since it has a low lactose count, but I got the wrong kind. This serves about 6-8 people. I am in a family with big eaters so if they were all coming to dinner I would double it. I had an uncle who could eat about 5 dinner rolls so when planning out the food, you always had to count him as 2-3 extra people.