Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

Last weekend I attended yet another potluck dinner. Something about the summer just screams “potluck,” I guess. For this one, I threw together not one but two pesto pasta salads: a regular one made with semolina pasta and olive oil, to share with the crowd, and a fat-free, healthier version made with whole wheat pasta for myself.

I’m going to be honest with you. I tasted both, and the regular one was better. Part of the blame for that goes to the whole wheat pasta I used in the oil-free version. I’ve never been a big fan of whole wheat pasta, but the brand I used this time tasted like tough, damp cardboard. The pesto sauce itself wasn’t bad. I used canned artichokes to replace the olive oil and omitted the nuts I normally use, and though I think it could have used those nuts blended into the sauce and perhaps some vegan parmesan, other than that, it was pretty tasty. But, for an oil-free pesto that’s really outstanding, I have to recommend either the Asparagus Pesto Pasta Salad that I blogged about last month or my creamy Pesto Pasta Salad that’s based on silken tofu.

Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

1 cup basil, packed
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tbsp. vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt, to taste
8 ounces whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Place the basil and 3 artichoke hearts (12 quarters) in a food processor, and pulse to coarsely chop. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, and lemon juice, and process until it becomes a thick paste. Add salt to taste.

In a serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the pesto and blend well. Add the remaining artichoke hearts, the tomato, and the pine nuts and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving (with pinenuts): 366 Calories (kcal); 6 g Total Fat; (13% calories from fat); 19 g Protein; 70 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 116 mg Sodium; 19 g Fiber.

Without pinenuts: 318 Calories (kcal); 2 g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 17 g Protein; 69 g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 116 mg Sodium; 19 g Fiber.

Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free Eat to Live

Tagged as: pasta, soy