Giada's Pesto Pasta Salad
Giada's Pesto Pasta Salad
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Author:
Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) containers cherry tomatoes, halved
3 medium zucchini, quartered, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 sprigs basil
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon Calabrian chili paste, or red pepper flakes
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Use your favorite store-bought pesto such as Bio Orto, or make from scratch. Recipe follows:
2 1/2 cups packed basil leaves
1 cup Italian parsley leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 small clove garlic
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3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, such as Fratepietro
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
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1 pound short pasta, such as Strozzapreti, cooked, drained and cooled to room temperature*
1 (7 ounce) block feta cheese, crumbled, about 2 cups
For the Tomatoes and Zucchini:
For the Dressing:
For the Salad:
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- On a rimmed baking sheet combine the tomatoes, zucchini, basil sprigs, garlic, olive oil, salt and chili paste. Toss well to coat evenly. Roast the vegetables for until soft and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool. Remove and discard the basil sprigs and whole garlic.
- For the pesto, in the bowl of a food processor combine the basil, parsley, pine nuts and garlic. Puree until roughly chopped. With the motor running drizzle in the olive and salt. Pour the pesto into a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.
- To the pesto add the cooked and cooled pasta and the cooled vegetables. Stir to evenly coat the pasta in the pesto. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water thin the dressing if needed. Stir in the crumbled feta and serve.
- *Cook’s note: Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than suggested on the package directions, about 9 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water, then strain the pasta and spread it on a rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature. Do not rinse the pasta.
2 reviews & comments
Hi Kim, the vegetables are roasted at 450 degrees Fahrenheit!
At what temperature do I roast vegetables?