Spicy Pesto + Summer Veggie Pasta Salad

The dinner highlight from last week - this Spicy Pesto + Summer Veggie Pasta Salad. Made to go with grilled salmon from Jordan’s latest fishing trip, and it was the perfect BBQ pairing. And also the best little something to snack on throughout the week. It has crunchy red pepper + corn cut from the cob (my favorite) + tangy summer tomatoes mixed in. My favorite part of the whole thing- creamy jalapeño pesto. Kind of funny to refer to it as a jalapeñoo pesto since it literally has just one pepper, but that was enough to spice things up. We love the spice around here, so our household was obsessed. Guaranteed if I brought it to a Summer pot-luck situation, someone would be unwell with the heat. Take-away: tossing in a whole jalapeño to blend up with the basil + garlic + nuts is very good idea.

 
 

Bring back the pasta

Pasta is one of those things that we didn’t eat for so long (thanks to our hardcore paleo diet of 2013), and I didn’t miss it much then. But now - I love it. Can’t get enough! And Jordan loves pasta salad (as do I), so it’s fun to bust out some loaded pasta salads this time of year. This one is a new favorite, one reason being it’s over-loaded by so many crispy veggies. Chunks of red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion (I feel like even pickled pepperoncinis would do the trick if you didn’t want to pickle onion), and the shining star - corn kernels cut right from the cob. I hate eating corn on the cob because it makes such a mess, and my teeth look insane after, but I LOVE grilling up corn + cutting off the kernels to mix in Summer salads. The corn is so much sweeter + more tasty when it’s fresh, and it gives a nice corn on the cob feel to it.

I also like that this pasta salad is filled with hearty veggies. Big chunky style veggies + even some chunked up cheese bits. Orecchiette is the perfect sized pasta to cook up + throw it all in with. The corn, minced up red onion, and pesto all hide in the little indentation of the pasta. Long story short, every bite is a little different, & that makes it kinda fun.

Creamy pesto is where it’s at

I always love making homemade pesto. For this particular variation, I bought a big + bountiful basil plant, and picked that thing bald to make the sauce. I like to go heavy on the herbs to make sure it’s a vibrant, super flavorful pesto. And if you’ve never had pesto on a cold salad you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s honestly how I prefer it, so it’s the perfect dressing for a pasta salad. Thick enough to coat the noodles + veggies, and doesn’t get totally sucked up by the pasta noodles.

Little trick - add in the smallest amount of mayo give it a little extra creamy-ness. The texture is perfect, the color of the pesto is perfectly green, and it’s really tasty.

 
 

Add jalapeno with caution

Just one whole jalapeñ in a relatively big batch of pesto really heated it up. All dressed up and every last veggie + noodle tossed in, we had a genuinely spicy side to our Sunday barbecue. That is what we tend to prefer, but note to self is one pepper is enough.

All in all a 10/10 pasta salad with a 10/10 pasta that I will for sure have no repeat for Jordan + I, and only share with friends + family who I know can handle the spice.

 
 

For the pesto

  • 1/2 c. walnuts

  • 2 generous cups of fresh basil

  • 5 garlic cloves

  • 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped

  • 1/2 c. grated parm

  • Salt + pepper

  • EVOO

  • 2 tbsp mayo

For the pasta salad

  • 1/4-1/2 lb bacon, roasted to be crispy in the oven

  • 2 ears of corn, grilled or boiled to be nice + tender

  • 1 package of dried orecchiette, cooked to al dente

  • 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 red pepper, diced

  • 1/4 c. of a diced up white cheese (like white cheddar or pepperjack, or the Italian truffle cheese from TJs I’m currently obsessed with)

  • 1/4 c. pickled red onion, minced

  • handful of sprouts, micro greens, or other lettuce

Start by roasting your bacon + corn via whatever method works for you. I like to roast my bacon at 350 on foil lined baking sheets until it’s pretty crispy to keep mess minimal, and then put my husband in charge of corn grilling.

Move to making the pesto. Add the herbs, garlic, nuts, jalapeño, + cheese to a food processor and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Turn the food processor on add in 1/4 cup EVOO until it’s smooth. Add in a pinch of salt + pepper and the mayo, pulse until it’s mixed in. Place in a bowl, cover, & put in a fridge.

Prep the bacon + corn. Dice up the bacon + cut the kernels off of the cob.

When the pasta is finished cooking + drained, add the pasta, pepper, tomatoes, red onions, bacon, corn, + red onion in a bowl. Add a cup of the pesto to the pasta + toss to coat, adding a bit more if needed. Add in the cheese + sprouts, and toss. Garnish with any leftover fresh basil. Dive in + enjoy - it’s perfect.

Lesley ZehnerComment