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
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!
Ingredients
For the pesto
- 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup pimentos, (a.k.a. roasted red peppers), with juice
- 1/3 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper, to taste
For the salad
- 2 1/4 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
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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.
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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.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Hi,
What could be a possible replacement for the almonds?
Pine nuts or walnuts!
Should the almonds have the skins removed?
Not necessary!
Perfect office lunch ! Thank you !
You are welcome!
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!
Delallo sells it here in CA at Sprouts
There are some options on Amazon or you could substitute with a different (small) pasta if you’d like.