This is a more summery version of my well loved autumnal Arti-tom Chick-feta Pasta salad recipe. I have 9 basil plants in my hydroponic window ledge grower, so I’m on my third batch of pesto so far this summer. I am also growing sugar ann peas in grow bags on my deck, and they are so sweet and crunchy, so I harvested about a cup of them and added them to this salad. Obviously you can buy pesto and sugar peas, but if you have a surplus from your garden, this is the perfect salad to add your harvest, and feel free to swap out your garden favourites – it would be amazing with fresh vine tomatoes instead of the sundried tomatoes too, but I would add them to each serving rather than to the whole pasta salad.
Makes about 8 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 box barilla gluten free pasta of your choice
- 1 large bunch basil, washed
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 540 ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced sundried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup marinated artichoke heart quarters, drained
- 1/4 cup large green garlic stuffed olives
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup sugar peas in the pod, washed & halved
- Crumbled feta or shredded daiya cheese
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Basil for garnish
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Prepare pasta according to directions on box, set aside.
- Rinse the fresh basil and dry in a salad spinner, add along with garlic cloves, pine nuts, and olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until it forms a nice pesto sauce. If you aren’t dairy-free you can also add a couple tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan add the sundried tomatoes with oil, the can of rinsed chickpeas, and the diced red onion. Saute on high until onions are transluscent and cooked through and chickpeas are soft and just starting to brown.
- In a large mixing bowl gently mix together the cooked pasta, fresh pesto, sautéed chickpea mixture, diced orange bell pepper, roughly chopped or sliced large olives, artichoke hearts, and halved sugar peas. Add the fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and give it another light mix.
- Serve topped with either crumbled feta or shredded Daiya cheese, and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Plum Hill 