Pesto brings me back to childhood memories. I remember coming home from summer camp and eating pesto pasta. It was green so it sort of looked healthy but now I know that recipe was far from it. Recently I was inspired to create this recipe with a Running on Veggies twist. I discovered Explore Cuisine pasta a few years ago. It caught my eye because the ingredients were so minimal and it was really high in protein.
I loved the fact that I could be eating pasta, which is normally carb centric, and it was actually full of protein. I have created a few recipes using bean pasta which you can find here. But pesto pasta is a favorite. I love pesto because it literally takes 10 minutes or less to make and then I have a fresh seasonal sauce or condiment to go with any meal. I also had fun creating this parmesan-like nut crumble to go along with the pasta.
This pasta will turn anyone into a pesto lover! I will be sure to bring this to my next BBQ because not only is it a crowd pleaser, but it is also so easy to make. With my busy schedule and training for an IRONMAN I have very little down-time to create or even cook long and intense recipes.
Vegan Parmasan
- 1/2 cup almonds or cashews
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
- In a blender or mini food processor combine everything until fine crumbles form
Pasta
- 1 box of explore cuisine lentil pasta
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes
- Cook pasta according to directions
Pesto
- 1 handful spinach
- 1 cup peas — I used frozen and let them thaw
- 1 cup basil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
- In a food processor combine all ingredients until smooth
- Combine pesto with pasta and sundried tomatoes. Lastly add in 1/4 cup vegan parmesan (recipe above)
