Pasta Salad With Creamy Avocado Pesto Food

CREAMY AVOCADO PASTA SALAD WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425° F and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Toss the sliced veggies with olive oil and 1 teaspoon of both kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies soften and caramelize. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions, drain, rinse, and cool.
• Add the avocado to the blender jar and pulse a few times. Add the almond milk, pesto, lemon juice, and the remaining 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Blend on high until light and frothy. Add more almond milk if needed to create a lush sauce.
• Add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl with the cooked veggies and kalamata olives. Drizzle with the avocado sauce and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with the Parmesan cheese, nuts and more basil leaves if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Will keep for 1-2 days.

CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse pepitas and garlic until finely chopped. Halve avocado, discard the pit and scoop out flesh. (You should have about 3/4 cup, or 5 ounces.) Add avocado flesh, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to food processor and pulse until chunky.
• Add cheese and basil to food processor. With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup water, then drizzle in oil until well blended, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer 2 cups of pesto to a large bowl. Refrigerate any remaining pesto for another use.
• Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. Add pasta and pasta water to pesto in large bowl and toss until pasta is nicely coated in sauce.
• Divide pasta among 4 bowls. Top with more pepitas, cheese and basil.

PASTA SALAD WITH CREAMY AVOCADO PESTO

Steps:

• First cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet until al dante, then drain all the water from the pan, rinse with cold water to cool the pasta down. Add the pasta to a large bowl set aside .
• Prepare your salad vegetables for the pasta salad by dicing and slicing them up, then stir them in with your pasta.
• To make the pesto, add all the pesto ingredients into a jug, then using a hand stick blender, blend everything until smooth and creamy. Taste to see if you need to add more salt.
• Stir the pesto into the pasta salad until the pasta is completely saturated, sprinkle with dried chilli flakes for a little kick. Enjoy!

PASTA WITH PUMPKIN SEED PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Drop the garlic cloves into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to temper their sharpness. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cloves to a food processor or blender.
• Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
• While the pasta cooks, add the pumpkin seeds and a pinch each of salt and pepper to the garlic, and process until very finely ground. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the basil. Scoop 1/4 cup water from the saucepan with the boiling pasta and pour over the basil. Process the basil until ground to a paste. Add the Parmesan and oil, and pulse just until incorporated. Taste the pesto and season with enough salt and pepper to make it punchy.
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water until room temperature. Shake dry, then return to the saucepan, and add the pesto and tomatoes, if using. Stir well until everything is evenly coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among dishes to serve right away or airtight containers to pack for lunch. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan, and serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.