Pasta Salad With Parsley Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g / 1 lb penne or bow tie pasta
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 cup sliced olives (green or black)
- 3/4 cup dried currants, picked
- 2/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 cup boiled peas
- #For The Pesto#
- 1 large garlic clove, quartered
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup tightly packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 -1 cup olive oil
- #For Garnish#
- Fresh parsley sprigs
- 10 or more cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
Instructions
- #Pasta is one of my favorite comfort foods. So I’ve put together this recipe as a summer salad. I make the pesto in the food processor and it takes no time to assemble this rich tasting salad. As with most pasta dishes it is at its best the very moment it is tossed.# Cook the pasta of your choice al dente in salted boiling water. While the pasta is cooking, whip up the pesto. Chop the garlic and salt in processor.
- Add all of parsley and mince. Then add all the rest of ingredients up to oil. With machine running, gradually pour oil through feed tube in a steady stream.
- Making the pesto by hand Is just as easy but time consuming. Drain pasta and save some of the cooking liquid. Pour all of dressing over pasta.
- Add chopped onion, olives, currants, pine nuts, and peas. Season with freshly ground pepper. Add some of the reserved cooking liquid if necessary.
- Garnish with parsley sprigs and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle your best olive oil all over the pasta salad.