If you love garlicy pesto you’ll love this easy delicious summer whole-meal-deal pasta salad. Edamame beans can be purchased already shelled providing easy protein, fiber and health building phytochemicals that are sweetly satisfying.
Presto Pesto Pasta Salad
If you love garlicy pesto you'll love this easy delicious summer whole-meal-deal pasta salad. Edamame beans can be purchased already shelled providing easy protein, fiber and health building phytochemicals that are sweetly satisfying.
Author: Victoria Laine
Recipe Type:: Full-Meal-Deal Salad
Serves:: 6 servings
Prep time::
Total time::
Ingredients:
- 1-16 oz (454g) pkg whole grain rotini/spiral pasta (see: gluten-free if needed)
- 2 cups edamame (green soy) beans, shelled - usually found frozen (or other favorite canned or cooked beans)
- 6 cups variety of veggies, chopped (ie. 2 cups each of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 large stalk celery, diced
- VEGANIZED PESTO
- 5-8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, (firmly compressed)
- ½-2/3 cup water
- ½ cup pine nuts (or slivered almonds)
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ¾ tsp salt
Directions:
- Bring water to a boil.
- Chop broccoli, cauliflower and carrots into bite size pieces.
- Add dry pasta to boiled water, cooking according to package directions. A few minutes before pasta is done (test a few for chewiness) turn up the heat to high and add the chopped broccoli, cauliflower and carrots to allow them to cook slightly.
- While they are cooking, thaw the frozen edamame beans. Place them into a large colander and rinse with warm water.
- When pasta is completely done and veggies are tender-crisp, drain all into the same large colander with the beans. Immediately rinse all under cold running water (to stop the cooking of the pasta and veg.) Drain well and toss into a large salad serving bowl.
- NOTE: The addition of the veggies to the pot will reduce the water temperature slowing the cooking of the pasta, so just prior to adding the veggies, put a lid on the pot to assist the water temperature to quickly rise and turn up the heat to HIGH.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes and dice the celery. Add to the salad.
- Make the pesto in the food processor with the 'S' blade: Remove thicker stems from basil leaves.
- Prepare pesto with the “S” blade by adding all ingredients and pulsing to desired texture.
- HINT: If pesto is too thick, you can thin it down with a bit of water, or if too thin add a few more nuts.
- You can reserve ¼-1/3 cup pesto for another recipe (for example - Portebello Pesto Sandwich ...recipe coming soon!)
- Toss pesto together with other ingredients and serve.
