Main Dishes

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta

Posted on by Jake Berry

A super simple Mediterranean diet inspired vegan pesto pasta salad that is loaded with veggies and tossed in a dairy-free walnut pesto sauce. The perfect dish to bring to summer parties and cookouts!

Dish Type: Main Dish
Season: Summer
Yield: 16 Servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time:  12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes

Ingredients

Vegan Walnut Pesto

  • 1/3 cup EVO3 Olive Oil
  • 1 cup baby arugula
  • 1 cup fresh basil
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
  • 1/2 cup raw walnuts

Pasta Salad

  • 1 Tablespoon EVO3 Olive Oil
  • 1 pound rotini pasta
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup fresh baby arugula
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
  • sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Make pesto sauce by adding arugula, basil, oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt in the bowl of a food processor and processing until smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse until the walnuts are ground to desired consistency. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Rinse with cool water and drain. Let pasta cool for about 5-10 minutes. Add pasta to a large salad bowl and toss with thawed peas, tomatoes, arugula toasted walnuts and olive oil. Add pesto, starting with ½ cup. Taste and add more pesto if you’d like. I like my noodles coated so I used all the pesto. Taste and season liberally with salt and pepper. Pasta salad can be served immediately, cold or at room temperature.

Enjoy!