This Roasted Red Pepper Pesto Pasta Salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors and offers a delicious vegan version of pesto!
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Easy
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 cups Dried Fusilli Pasta
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 cup Pitted Kalamata olives
- 1 cup Crumbled feta cheese
- 4 cups Baby kale or other green salads
- 1 cup Roasted red peppers (drained)
- ½ cups Fresh basil leaves, packed
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ¼ cups Roasted sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 whole Lemon, Zest And Juice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1-½ tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoons Crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ cups Extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Pasta salad
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water and add 3 cups of dried fusilli pasta. Cook al dente, about 8 minutes, and drain. Rinse with cold water to cool the pasta.
Meanwhile, cut the cherry tomatoes in half and prepare the red pepper pesto.
Combine roasted peppers, basil, whole garlic, sunflower seeds, tomato paste, lemon juice and zest, smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, red pepper flakes and salt in a culinary robot. Pulse until combined.
With the engine running, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil until well blended and smooth. You may need a little more or less depending on how *juicy* the red peppers are.
In each mason jar or container, layer 1/4 cup red pepper pesto, 1 cup cooked pasta, 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese and garnish with 1 cup kale or another salad. green vegetables. Garnish with additional sunflower seeds if desired. Close tightly.
