Warm Pesto Pasta Salad

This is such a great dish and can be served either warm or cold. It is also a great dinner that can be refrigerated and eaten for a bunch the next day. This dish is high in fiber and taste amazing! It is a little higher in calories, but it is for a hefty serving (about 1.5 cups). 



Warm Pesto Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Servings: 5-6
Calories: 400-460 per serving

What You Will Need:
  • 1/2 Box of Elbow Noodles
  • 1/2 Container Grape Tomatoes (cut in half)
  • 2.25oz Pine Nuts
  • 4oz Fresh Basil
  • 1 Green Pepper (chopped)
  • 1 Red Onion (chopped)
  • 5 Cloves Garlic (peeled)
  • 1 8oz Package Baby Bella Mushrooms (chopped)
  • 3 Stalks Celery (chopped) 
  • 3/4 cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1/4 cup +1 TBS olive oil
  • 1 TBS Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 1/2 TBS Onion Powder
  • 1/2 TBS Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
  • 1 TBS Sea Salt
  • 1 TBS Lemon Juice


To Prepare:
  1. Place 1 TBS olive oil in pan and turn to medium heat.
  2. When oil is hot, place mushrooms, pepper, onion, and celery in pot and sauté for 10 minutes or until liquid is gone from pan and set aside.
  3. Boil  water in large pot.
  4. Place pasta in boiling water and boil 8 minutes then strain and return to pan along with vegetable mixture and pesto (see below).
  5. Stir altogether and enjoy warm or place in fridge and serve cold. 


Note: Can be kept in fridge for up to 3 days. 



For Pesto Sauce:
  1. Place garlic and pine nuts in food processor and pulse 8 times.
  2. Add oil, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, onion and garlic and powder, and basil into food processor.
  3. Pulse 10 times. 
  4. Add lemon juice and process for 30-45 seconds until creamy and smooth. (It will be thick)


Note: This sauce is also amazing on pizza, sandwiches, veggie stir fries, or any other place you would use pesto. 

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