Spinach Pesto Pasta Primavera

My mom has a bunch of fresh basil growing in her back yard and I decided to get cooking and not let that basil go to waste. I love pesto, and it freezes very well, so I made extra to pull out in the middle of the winter when fresh basil is hard to come by.

I know primavera means spring and that this is traditionally a spring dish, but the fresh veggies are abundant here in the late summer, too. I paired fresh veggies with whole grain pasta and coated it all in yummy pesto. It was the perfect summer dinner to eat on the porch.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Primavera

Spinach Pesto Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh spinach
3 small cloves of garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegan parmesan (I prefer GoVeggie brand)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

Spinach Pesto Directions:

Put all pesto ingredients into a powerful blender and blend until well incorporated, but not completely smooth. You want some chunks of sunflower seeds visible.

Spinach Pesto Pasta Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat rotini pasta
1 recipe spinach pesto (above)
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes

Spinach Pesto Pasta Directions:

Cook rotini according to the package directions, and add the carrots and peppers during the last two minutes of the cooking time. I like to put them in the bottom of my colander and set that in the boiling water over the pasta.

Drain the pasta and veggies and put into a serving dish. Coat the pasta with the pesto and add the tomatoes.

For 8 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 117 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  184 Calories from Fat  87

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  9.7g 15%

Saturated Fat  1.3g 6%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  132mg 6%

Potassium  232mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  18.0g 6%

Dietary Fiber  2.7g 11%

Sugars  2.5g

Protein  6.1g

Vitamin A 80% • Vitamin C 41% Calcium 8% • Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet