Nothing smells or tastes better than freshly made pesto and vegetables, a delicious duo that makes this recipe the perfect light and healthy summer dinner.
1 cup fresh basil
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon
1 ½ tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil
½ tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion sliced
1 small zucchini, halved and sliced
1 small yellow summer squash, halved and sliced
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces short pasta (fusilli, penne, farfalle, rigatoni, etc.)
¼ – ⅓ cup of your prepared basil pesto (or you can use Bozza Pasta's Pre-made Basil Presto)
For the Pesto:
1. Place garlic in a food processor or blender and pulse until roughly chopped. Then add the basil, hemp seeds, lemon juice, salt, and pulse into a rough paste.
2. Turn on the food processor and drizzle in the olive oil through the opening in the lid. If your food processor doesn’t have an opening add the olive oil to the container with the rest of the ingredients and let the food processor run until you reach your desired consistency.
For the Pasta:
1. Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water heats up, start your veggies. Once the water boils, cook the pasta according to package instructions. In a medium pot, add water and set over high heat. When pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain pasta.
2. In a large skillet add olive oil and set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion, zucchini, yellow summer squash, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Saute for about 5-8 minutes just to soften the squash. Set aside till pasta is done cooking.
3. Place the pan of vegetables back on low heat, add the cooked pasta, pesto, and ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Add more water to reach the desired consistency of the pesto. Toss to coat.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with nutritional yeast parm, Parmesan cheese, hemp seeds, and more basil leaves if desired. Serve warm.
5. Store leftover pesto pasta in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Pesto will keep in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
