Pesto Pasta Salad

Hello, hello!

How are you doing today?  I am in a great mood today and I don’t know why?  Don’t you love when you wake up and everything seems to be going right for you?  That’s how I feel today!  So what do I have on the menu over at PB and P’s?  I have for you a summertime pasta salad that is quick to whip together and has the most wonderful seasonal flavors.

This wonderful tasting pasta is made with homemade pesto, local cherry tomatoes and of course mozzarella cheese.  I have been on a mozzarella cheese kick for a few weeks now and I find any excuse to use them and in this salad they are perfect.  Do you ever get on cheese kicks?  I am not a big cheese person, but give me little mozzarella balls and I am in cheese heaven.

For the pasta I used quinoa pasta shells.  I like the taste and texture of them, but to be honest these babies stick.  I used olive oil and everything and they still stick together.  Also, they expand pretty big and I was really surprised by that.  Anyway to prevent more sticking from happening I whipped together my pesto really quick.  To make it, all I used was a bunch of fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese and olive oil.  I don’t bother with adding pine nuts or any other kind of nut to it.  I figure that the olive oil was a healthy enough fat for my pasta.  To give the pesto a little more creaminess I also add some fat free sour cream to it.  The pesto just eats up at the sour cream, but it still had a nice creamy texture to it.  Here is the pesto.

I whipped this  salad together in a matter of a few minutes once the pasta (quinoa) was done.  Quinoa takes a little bit longer to cook than average pasta.  I served this dish with a side of barbecue chicken and some fresh veegtables.  As for the quinoa pasta, no one had any idea it wasn’t real pasta.  he he

Pesto Pasta Salad

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 7 Cups (7 servings)

• Serving size: 1 cup

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  10 mins

Total time:  30 mins

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A light pasta salad made with quinoa shells, homemade pesto and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

• 8 oz shell macaroni ( I used Quinoa Pasta)
• 1 large bunch basil leaves, about 30 leaves
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup sour cream, fat free
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half if large in size
• 2 oz mozzarella balls, cut in half

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to manufactures directions. Once pasta is cooked, drain and run under cold water, place in a bowl to cool.
2. To make pesto: In a food processor, add basil leaves, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Process until smooth. Stir in sour cream.
3. To put the salad together, in the bowl with the pasta, add pesto, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and season with salt and pepper is desired.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Calories per cup: 222, Fat: 10, Cholesterol: 7, Potassium: 58, Carbs: 26, Fiber: 2, Sugar: 2, Protein: 7

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I really enjoy nice light dishes like this.  My family loved it and if your a pesto fan, I think you will love it too!!  Oh and next time your at the store check out quinoa pasta.  I was really surprised on how good it was and how much it tastes like pasta.

Well my Friends, I am busy, busy…

Have  a great day!

Toodles,

Jennifer

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