Alpha Gal Friendly Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Total time55 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time25 min

4.9

(10)

Alpha Gal Friendly Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables

Managing alpha-gal syndrome means steering clear of mammalian meat and, for many people, mammalian-derived dairy — which can make creamy, cheesy pasta dishes completely off the table. This vibrant bowl sidesteps all of that without sacrificing a single bit of flavor. The pesto here skips the traditional parmesan entirely, leaning instead on fresh basil, raw walnuts, bright lemon juice, and good olive oil to build a sauce that's rich, herby, and deeply satisfying. Roasting the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper at high heat coaxes out their natural sweetness and adds those irresistible lightly charred edges that make every forkful interesting. Whole wheat rotini holds onto the walnut pesto beautifully, and a handful of peppery baby arugula folded in at the end keeps things fresh and lively. It's the kind of dish that works just as well packed for lunch the next day as it does served straight from the bowl after a ten-minute rest. Simple, plant-forward, and genuinely delicious — no substitutions required.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the pasta

8 oz whole wheat rotini or penne
1 tsp salt

For the roasted vegetables

1 pint (10 oz) cherry tomatoes
1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch half-moons
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
⅓ cup raw walnuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the salad

2 cups baby arugula
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, and toss to coat, spreading the vegetables in a single layer.
2
Roast the vegetables for 20–22 minutes, until the tomatoes have burst and the zucchini and pepper are tender with lightly charred edges. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

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