4 Ingredient Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe with feta or goats cheese and ideas for vegan variations too. Easy & healthy summer dinners or salads for a crowd.
Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
While I usually enjoy low carb meals. From time to time, I crave a carby pasta and as I tend to eat intuitively, I listen to my body and make a nourishing meal like this vegetarian pesto pasta salad.
Even more so as I’ve been taking my kids swimming lately and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as having a pasta dish waiting for me in the fridge as my post swim meal. (Yes, I’ve been swimming with the kids – that’s a story for another time!)
So, I thought sharing this recipe would be a good idea, with a busy summer coming up, it’s great to have a couple of recipes like this that you can make ahead and have ready and waiting for when needed.
Pesto Pasta Variations
There are tons of ways to enjoy a pesto pasta salad. You can create a vegan version by skipping the feta or goats cheese and sprinkling over nutritional yeast for that cheesy element.
The pesto itself can either be homemade (here’s a recipe) or store bought. Just make sure’s its vegetarian or vegan friendly if you’re following a veggie diet or serving it to someone who is. The choice is yours whether to opt for a traditional basil/green base or a tomato pesto sauce.
You can also fry/roast any vegetables or add raw vegetables into your pesto salad. Here are some ideas:
- Tomato
- Zucchini
- Peppers
- Sundried Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Broccoli/Cauliflower
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olives
- Spinach/Kale
- Herbs – basil, oregano
- Peas or Corn
You can also add a healthy protein portion to your salad. Here are some ideas:
- Chickpeas, lentils or another bean
- Nuts – pine nuts, cashews, walnuts
- Cheese – feta, goats cheese, mozzarella or another vegan/vegetarian friendly cheese
Another option is to grate over zest and squeeze over lemon or lime juice. For a sweeter salad add a couple of handfuls of dried cranberries.
4 Ingredient Vegetarian Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
- Pasta of Choice
- 1 Head of Broccoli
- 1 Jar of Pesto (Vegan or Vegetarian, if necessary)
- Goats Cheese or Feta
- Bring a saucepan of well salted water up to the boil.
- While waiting for the water to bubble, chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
- Once the water is boiling add the chopped broccoli and pasta.
- Cook until the pasta according to package directions and broccoli is done to your liking.
- Drain and rinse the pasta and broccoli, to cool.
- Move to a salad bowl or dish.
- Allow to cool completely then stir through pesto and top with goats cheese or feta.
- Enjoy straight away or store in the fridge for a few days and enjoy chilled.
This easy pesto pasta is perfect enjoyed warmed or as a salad chilled from the fridge – a great option for those busy summer days.
More Easy Vegetarian Salad Recipes:
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