Arugula Pesto Crab Pasta Salad Food

PESTO PASTA SALAD

Pesto Pasta Salad image

This pesto pasta salad recipe is bursting with fresh flavor. It's light, healthy and easy to make. Perfect for picnics and potlucks! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.

Provided by Cookie and Kate

Categories Salad

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 pound whole grain pasta (fusilli, rotini, penne or farfalle)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
3 handfuls baby arugula or spinach
Optional cheese: Crumbled feta cheese, little mozzarella balls or diced mozzarella or grated Parmesan
Optional additions: 1/2 cup thinly sliced Kalamata olives and/or 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)*
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente according to package directions. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain and immediately rinse the pasta under cool water to prevent the noodles from sticking to one another. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl.
Meanwhile, to prepare the pesto: In a small skillet, toast the pepitas over medium heat, stirring often, until they are fragrant and making little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Pour half of the pepitas into a bowl for later (we will use them as garnish).
Pour the remaining pepitas into a food processor. Add the basil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Process while slowly drizzling in the olive oil, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary, until the pepitas have broken down to create a pretty smooth sauce.
To assemble the pasta salad, pour all of the pesto over the pasta and toss until the pasta is lightly and evenly coated, adding a tiny splash of reserved pasta cooking water if necessary to thin it out. Then add the cherry tomatoes, arugula, remaining toasted pepitas, and any optional add-ins (olives, chickpeas and/or cheese).
Toss again to combine, then season to taste with pepper. If the pasta needs more flavor, add salt, to taste, or a splash of lemon juice. If the flavors are too bold, let it rest for a few minutes, and add a little splash of olive oil if necessary to tone down the rest.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 457 calories, Sugar 3.3 g, Sodium 153.8 mg, Fat 30 g, SaturatedFat 4.3 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 45.2 g, Fiber 6.5 g, Protein 8.4 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

ARUGULA PESTO

Arugula Pesto image

To most people, pesto means one thing: pesto Genovese, the famous and fabulous basil paste from the Italian Riviera. But there are sauces made with copious amounts of other herbs or greens not destined for pasta. They aren't called pestos, yet that's what they are - all made by grinding herbs and other ingredients to a paste, then thinning out and enriching with oil. This dish is inspired by one found in southern Italy. This sauce, like other forms of pesto, is all pungent with garlic. In addition to serving this vibrant pesto with pasta, it can be used with grains - risottos made with rice, barley, or wheat - and as a topping for tomatoes. It's great on its own, spooned onto a thick slice of country bread. Don't use a sharp olive oil with this, or it will overwhelm the arugula.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories easy, quick, condiments

Time 10m

Yield Makes about 2/3 cup

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, cut in half, green shoots removed
2 heaped tablespoons shelled walnuts
4 ounces arugula, stemmed, washed and dried 2 cups leaves, tightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed
1/3 to 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, to taste

Steps:

Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When they are chopped and adhering to the sides, stop the machine, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the walnuts. Turn on the machine, and process until they are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl again, and add the arugula and the salt. Pulse until the arugula is finely chopped, then turn on the machine and run while you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When the mixture is smooth, stop the machine, scrape down the sides and process for another 30 seconds or so. Scrape out into the bowl of a mortar and pestle. Grind the mixture with the pestle for a smoother texture. Work in the cheese and combine well.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 851, UnsaturatedFat 67 grams, Carbohydrate 8 grams, Fat 86 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 16 grams, Sodium 511 milligrams, Sugar 2 grams