Creamy Olive Pesto Pasta
This Creamy Olive Pesto Pasta is bursting with bold, Mediterranean flavor that gives this pesto an exciting twist on tradition. Tossed with your choice of pasta and colorful sautéed veggies, this is a delicious and unique pasta recipe that whips up quick and easy for a weeknight dinner!
Servings: 4 large bowls
Equipment
- 1 Food processor
Ingredients
- 11-12 oz pasta of choice
Veggies
- ⅓ of a large red onion thinly sliced rounds
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup zucchini sliced into rounds, then cut into half moons
- 2 small sweet peppers, sliced or ½ of a bell pepper
Olive Pesto
- ⅓ cup walnuts or ¼ cup pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1- 6 oz can green olives, drained
- ¼ cup kalamata olives
- 1 cup arugula
- ¼ cup parsley
- 3 tsp lemon juice
Garnish
- cherry tomatoes sliced
Instructions
- Olive Pesto: Place ⅓ cup walnuts, 3 cloves garlic, and 2 Tbsps nutritional yeast in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Then add everything else under "olive pesto" and process until pesto is finely chopped and desired pesto consistency, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook 11-12 oz pasta until al dente according to package directions. Once al dente, strain water and return pasta back to pot. Toss with olive pesto immediately, while pasta is still hot.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Using a drizzle of oil or splash of water, sauté onions, mushrooms, with a pinch of salt until mushrooms begin to brown, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini and sweet peppers and cook until softened.
- Stir cooked the veggies into the pesto pasta. Serve immediately, garnishing with cherry tomatoes.
Notes
This Creamy Olive Pesto Pasta keeps in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.