Green and Gorgeous Pesto Pasta Salad
A broccoli pesto coats the pasta in this salad made with peas, olives, rocket, pine nuts and breadcrumbs.
How long will it take?
Takes 45 minutes
What’s the serving size?
Serves 6
What do I need?
- 500 g fusilli
- A couple of slice of day-old Pigeon Whole Stoneground Sourdough Loaf
- 75 g pine nuts
- 75 g fresh or frozen peas
- 150 g pitted green olives
For the broccoli pesto
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
How do I make it?
- Cook pasta according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 150C. Tear bread into pieces and add to a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds to create coarse breadcrumbs. Transfer breadcrumbs to a lined baking tray and cook for 7 minutes or until they are lightly browned and feel dry. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Add pine nuts to a dry frying pan over medium-low heat. Toast, shaking the pan every couple of seconds to stop the nuts from burning. When nuts are slightly browned, remove pan from the heat and transfer nuts to a bowl to cool.
- Bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add broccoli to the water and cook for 30 seconds and then remove broccoli using a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Add peas to the water and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat and strain. Set peas aside.
- Place broccoli in food processor with remaining pesto ingredients and blitz until combined.
- Add pasta to a large bowl with pesto and toss to coat pasta. Add olives, rocket and peas and toss to combine. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Sprinkle pasta with pine nuts and breadcrumbs just before serving.
