Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Julie Kim

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Pesto Pasta Salad

This healthy and light pesto pasta salad has the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and savory flavors in every bite!

Prep time: 5 MCook time: 13 MTotal time: 18 M

Ingredients:

Pesto

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ package (about 8 ounces) silken tofu
2 cloves garlic
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese OR nutritional yeast

Pasta Salad

1 pound farfalle pasta
4 ounces baby arugula
½ cup sun dried tomatoes, julienne
½ cup green onions, sliced
1 red anjou pear, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper

Optional Topping

¼ cup roasted pepitas

Instructions:

Boil water in large pot and add pasta and cook until thoroughly cooked. Follow package directions for how long to boil. Strain and rinse pasta with cold water. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
Drain liquid from silken tofu and use paper towels to pat out as much liquid as possible. In a food processor add basil, lemon juice, salt, tofu, and garlic. Blend until smooth homogenous consistency. Then, while mixture is still blending gradually drizzle in olive oil. Mix in parmesan/nutritional yeast. Set aside.
In the large mixing bowl with the pasta add the pesto, baby arugula, sun dried tomatoes, green onions, and pears. Toss until all ingredients are evenly coated and crack fresh black pepper on top. (Optional: sprinkle roasted pepitas on top) Serve and enjoy!

Notes:

• Try topping it with some roasted pepitas to add a light nutty flavor. • You can swap out the arugula and pear with your favorite salad greens and fruit. • Make it vegan by swapping the parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast! • Add more cheese, salt, and lemon juice to your liking for more flavor.

Calories

380

Fat (grams)

16

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.5

Carbs (grams)

50

Fiber (grams)

3

Net carbs

47

Sugar (grams)

6

Protein (grams)

10

Sodium (milligrams)

210

Cholesterol (grams)

0.005

Nutrition Facts for 1 serving.

Created using The Recipes Generator