Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad With Roasted Vegetables

Roasted summer vegetables and a bright, lemony walnut pesto make this pasta salad a healthy, delicious lunch, accompaniment to dinner, or take-along dish for your next potluck.

Instructions

Prep your ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and put on a large pot of water to boil.
Cut the zucchini and yellow squash in half lengthwise, and slice into ½ inch thick half moons.
1 medium zucchini, 1 yellow summer squash
Chop the bell pepper and red onion into ½ inch pieces and halve your tomatoes.
2 cups cherry tomatoes, 2 red bell peppers, ½ red onion
Wash and dry your basil and set aside.
2 cups fresh basil leaves

Roast the vegetables:

Add the zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, and onion pieces to a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and cracked black pepper. Toss everything together with a spatula, spread it out in a single layer, then roast for 10 minutes.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper to taste
After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and use your spatula to give it a good stir. Add the cherry tomatoes over the top and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

While the veggies are roasting:

Salt your boiling water generously and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse briefly with cold water to cool the pasta, then set aside.
2 cups whole grain spiral pasta
Add the parmesan, walnuts, garlic, and salt to your food processor. Pulse 7-8 times to chop the garlic and walnuts.
2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup walnuts, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Add the basil to the walnut mixture and pulse 7-8 more times to chop the herb.
2 cups fresh basil leaves
Add the olive oil and lemon juice and pulse until the pesto resembles a puree.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Taste the pesto and add more salt by the pinch as needed, stirring well in between pinches. You want it to be well-seasoned.

Cool the vegetables

Remove the vegetables from the oven and transfer them to a heat-proof bowl immediately. Spread them out as much as possible in the bowl and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes, then toss them with the pesto.
Let this mixture to cool on the counter for another 10 or so minutes, then toss with the pasta and place the bowl in the refrigerator for another 20-30 minutes until cool.

Finish and serve:

Add the mozzarella balls and toss well to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. I like this recipe with lots of pepper, but that’s just me!
1 cup fresh mozzarella
Garnish with extra basil leaves if desired, and serve.

Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad With Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

For the pasta salad:

For the walnut pesto (store-bought pesto works great too):

Instructions

Prep your ingredients:

Roast the vegetables:

While the veggies are roasting:

Cool the vegetables

Finish and serve:

Notes

Nutrition