Vegan Veggie Pesto Pasta with Pistachios
Vegan Veggie Pesto Pasta with Pistachios is a hearty, nutritious, and irresistibly flavorful dish that combines whole wheat pasta with an array of fresh vegetables and a zesty vegan basil pesto.
Vegan Veggie Pesto Pasta with Pistachios is a hearty, nutritious, and irresistibly flavorful dish that combines whole wheat pasta with an array of fresh vegetables and a zesty vegan basil pesto.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- red pepper flakes to taste
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 pound whole wheat short-cut pasta i used medium-small shells
- 1 cup sweet green peas (frozen or fresh i used frozen)
- 1/2 cup hot pasta water for thinning pesto
- olive oil enough to lightly coat asparagus and snap peas
- 1 bunch /large handful fresh asparagus woody ends snapped off, sliced into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 2 cups sugar snap peas strings removed if necessary, chopped in half
- 1 cup pistachios shelled, toasted
- 1 medium-large firm-ripe avocado cubed
- fresh basil torn, for garnish
- vegan basil pesto:
- 6 cups fresh basil
- 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted, cooled
- 1 small clove garlic (or 1/2 large clove) roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- Carbohydrate 7.20931817944981 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 13.7832265233369 g
- Fiber 2.72250210931005 g
- Protein 5.32345078409193 g
- Saturated Fat 1.55151010527224 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (131g)
- Sodium 438.292447918059 mg
- Sugar 4.48681607013976 g
- Trans Fat 1.01949057458236 g
- Calories 163 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Just shy of al dente, add the peas to the boiling pasta water and cook for 30 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and peas.
- Meanwhile, heat your grill to medium-high heat. Coat the asparagus and snap peas in a light layer of olive oil. Place the veggies in a grill basket or on foil, then grill for about 6 minutes or until tender and lightly charred, flipping once. Cooking time will depend on your grill and thickness of veggies. You can also saute the veggies over medium heat until crisp-tender, or roast in the oven at 425 degrees on a rimmed metal baking sheet.
- For the pesto, pulse the basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, salt, black pepper, red pepper, lemon zest and juice. Add the olive oil and blend until just combined, scraping the side of the bowl when necessary. Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking. I often add another splash of lemon juice.
- Fold the cooked pasta, peas, grilled asparagus, snap peas, and pesto together until combined, adding hot pasta water to loosen the mixture, if necessary.
- Gently fold in the pistachios, cubed avocado, and more fresh basil.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste.
Most cooks undercook the pasta water by failing to salt it aggressively until it tastes like seawater. Whole wheat pasta absorbs liquid differently than refined semolina, requiring a full tablespoon of kosher salt per gallon of boiling water to penetrate the dense grain. When fresh basil is abundant in mid-summer, making a raw herb sauce requires immediate processing because bruised leaves oxidize within twenty minutes. Frozen peas offer consistent sweetness during shoulder seasons when fresh pods are woody. Grilling asparagus and sugar snap peas at 450 degrees Fahrenheit imparts the necessary char without softening their structural integrity. Toss the hot shells immediately with the starchy reserved liquid to bind the extra virgin olive oil emulsion. Fold in cubed avocado at the very end to prevent the fats from melting into an unappealing puree under residual heat. Pair this dish with a crisp, mineral-driven Sauvignon Blanc or a dry Italian Vermentino to cut through the rich pine nut and avocado base. A simple side of grilled radicchio dressed with a splash of red wine vinegar provides a bitter counterpoint to the sweet peas and toasted pistachios.
