Cashew Free Pasta Salad with Pesto and Roasted Vegetables
This vibrant pasta salad is the kind of dish that earns compliments at every potluck, picnic, or weeknight dinner table. Roasting the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and red bell pepper at high heat coaxes out deep, caramelized flavor that makes the whole bowl sing. The homemade pesto here skips the cashews entirely in favor of raw walnuts, which blend into a rich, herbaceous sauce with real body and a slightly earthy finish. A hit of fresh lemon juice keeps everything bright, while peppery baby arugula adds a fresh contrast to the warm roasted vegetables folded in at the end. Whole wheat rotini holds onto all that pesto beautifully, so every bite is well-coated and satisfying. Kalamata olives are optional, but if you're a fan of briny, bold flavors, they push this salad firmly into showstopper territory. It's the kind of recipe you'll make once and then find yourself craving on repeat.
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Learn more →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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