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Home » Recipes

Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

With school back underway, I love to have pasta salad or other hearty salads that I can make on Sunday and have ready to go in the fridge all week long. These types of dishes hold up really well in the lunch box (pictured below) and are great to grab and go for adult/work lunches as well. We're big fans of pesto in our house, so this twist with red peppers felt like a great way to switch things up!

Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

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Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

Pasta salad is easy to make on Sunday and have ready to go in the fridge all week long. Try this twist with red peppers for a tasty way to change things up!
5 Average
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 12 minutes mins
Total Time: 22 minutes mins
Course: Lunch, Salads, Sides
Cuisine: Italian
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Egg Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 6 people
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

For the pesto

  • ¾ cup fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup pimentos ((a.k.a. roasted red peppers), with juice)
  • ⅓ cup raw almonds
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pepper (to taste)

For the salad

  • 2 ¼ cups whole-wheat orzo pasta ((dry) cooked according to package directions and cooled)
  • 2 cups sliced fresh spinach leaves
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor or blender combine the pesto ingredients including the basil, Parmesan, pimentos, almonds, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and blend until smooth. 
  • Toss pesto together with the cooked pasta, spinach, and cherry tomatoes in a big bowl until well combined. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. 

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 92 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 104mg5%
Potassium 117mg3%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 770IU15%
Vitamin C 23mg28%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 0.7mg4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto in lunch box as side with black beans, corn, tomato dish, cheese stick, pepperoni slices, and fresh fruit slices

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685 shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Kristin says

    September 24, 2018 at 9:36 am

    Hi,
    What could be a possible replacement for the almonds?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 25, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      Pine nuts or walnuts!

      Reply
  2. Maureen Petru says

    September 19, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    Should the almonds have the skins removed?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 25, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      Not necessary!

      Reply
  3. 2pots2cook says

    September 19, 2018 at 9:41 am

    5 stars
    Perfect office lunch ! Thank you !

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 25, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      You are welcome!

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    September 17, 2018 at 2:20 pm

    I’ve had a hard time finding whole wheat orzo. Even shopping online seems to yield only very expensive options. Could you provide a brand and where we buy it? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Becky says

      September 18, 2018 at 7:41 pm

      Delallo sells it here in CA at Sprouts

      Reply
    • Lisa says

      September 25, 2018 at 4:03 pm

      There are some options on Amazon or you could substitute with a different (small) pasta if you'd like.

      Reply

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Welcome!


Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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