Pesto & Courgette Pasta Salad with Tomato Basil Salsa

Ready in 30 minutes • Serves 1
This dish most recently appeared in Fresh Start Choice (4 Nights For 1) on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

Order Now

Packed with flavour and bright in colour, this delicious pasta is sure to be a hit. The basil pesto coats protein-packed pulse pasta, with bites of juicy tomato adding freshness to each forkful. Our Mediterranean-inspired recipes use an abundance of wholesome ingredients like fresh veggies, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. The flavours of the Mediterranean shine in this wonderful dish.

Ingredients

Salsa

1/4 pack cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 bunch basil, finely chopped
1/4 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Pasta Salad

1 courgette, cut in half lengthways & thinly sliced
1/4 tsp oil
1/4 pack pulse penne pasta
50g baby spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp vegan basil pesto
1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

To Serve

1 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 bunch basil

Steps

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
Cut tomatoes in half, finely chop basil and mince garlic. Toss together in a bowl with first measure of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to serve.
Cut courgette in half lengthways and thinly slice. Heat oil in a frypan on medium-high heat. Add courgette, season with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and add to a salad bowl.
Cook pasta in boiling water for 6-8 minutes, until tender. Drain well and rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well and transfer to salad bowl with cooked courgette.
Add spinach, pesto and second measure of balsamic vinegar to bowl with pasta salad and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Top pasta salad with salsa, crumble over feta and sprinkle over remaining basil leaves.

Nutritional Information

Energy	1862 kj 445 kcal
Protein	20.6g
Carbohydrate	40.8g
Fat	19.4g