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June 11, 2020

Romesco Pasta Salad Recipe

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I’m a sucker for anything I can pack into a mason jar and this romesco pasta salad recipe is no exception. By keeping the ingredients in separate layers, you can ensure their freshness! The nut free romesco sauce just happens to be packed with pantry staples. Make it for lunch this week and your future self will thank you!

red pepper pesto salad ingredients in a mason jar

How to make a mason jar salad

Mason jar salads are great for their portability (hello picnic season!) and ability to layer ingredients for optimum freshness. There is a method to the madness though. Follow this simple formula and you’ll nail it every time.

  1. Start with the sauce in the bottom. Not only does this keep it from getting the most tender ingredients from soggy, but when you dump it all out into a bowl, the sauce will conveniently end up on top.
  2. Layer in your sturdiest and least absorbent ingredient. In this case it’s the pasta. Depending on what you’re making, it would likely hard veggies like onions, bell peppers, or carrots.
  3. Next up are the soft veggies, like the cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives in this recipe. It can also include beans, squash, corn, or sweet potatoes to name a few.
  4. Then it’s time for your grains or proteins. Think: brown rice, barley quinoa, shredded chicken, bacon bits….
  5. In this recipe I didn’t include anything too fragile, like fresh berries, but if you did this is where they would go.
  6. Last up, any tender fresh greens and herbs will fill up the remainder of the jar to keep from getting crushed. It will seem like you’re barely putting a dent in your jar until you realize how much space the greens take up!
ingredients prepped for red pepper pesto pasta salad

Meal prepping your romesco pasta

Now, normally I’m not a fan of making pasta ahead of time when it comes to meal prep. But I happily make an exception when it comes to a pasta salad for lunch. The prime reason being that it will be served cold so you don’t run the risk of the pasta becoming mushy when you reheat.

I use a sturdy pasta like fusilli, rotini, or rigatoni since it won’t fall apart. As an added bonus, the delicious nut free romesco sauce will nestle into every nook and cranny. In this recipe I opted for the briny Mediterranean flavors of kalamata olives and feta cheese, punctuated by sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes that I always have on hand.

For greens, I LOVE these baby kale leaves. I tend to reach for arugula 9 times out of 10, but when I see baby kale at the store I can’t pass it up. The leaves are much more tender and less bitter than a lacinato or curly kale, but still hearty enough to hold up to meal prep.

Mason jars are great for meal prep because they don’t take up much space in the refrigerator, and you can easily set up a little assembly line to add your ingredients. Now, I know I preach that I don’t like to eat the same lunch every day of the week… Instead I’ll switch it up by eating it with chicken one day, garbanzo beans the next, and maybe mix in some grilled eggplant and zucchini the next before calling it good.

red pepper pasta salad in a bowl with kalamata olives, feta, cherry tomatoes and baby kale

Other mason jar salad recipe ideas

One peak at Pinterest will show you that the sky is the limit when it comes to what you can prep into mason jars. Here are some of my favorites from some inspiring food bloggers:

  • Mason Jar Instant Noodle Soup-my mind was seriously blown when I came across this recipe!
  • Black Bean and Quinoa Salad-I would be super excited to eat this for lunch.
  • Apple Feta Pecan Salad-Once fall rolls around, this will be in my regular rotation
  • Balsamic Chicken Berry Salad-Berries? Chicken? Balsamic? I’m sold!
romesco pasta salad in a bowl

Romesco Pasta Salad

This romesco pasta salad is bursting with Mediterannean flavors thanks to the briny feta and olives. You can meal prep it into mason jars for easy lunches all week long.
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Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Servings 4

Equipment

  • food processor or blender

Ingredients
  

Pasta Salad

  • 3 cups dried fusilli pasta
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 cups baby kale or other salad greens

Romesco Sauce

  • 1 cup roasted red peppers, drained
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

Pasta Salad

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water generously and add 3 cups of dried fusilli pasta. Cook til al dente, approximately 8 minutes, and drain. Rinse with cold water to cool pasta.
  • In the meantime, cut cherry tomatoes in half and make red pepper pesto.
  • In each mason jar or container, layer 1/4 cup of red pepper pesto, 1 cup of cooked pasta, 1/4 cup each cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese and top with 1 cup loosely packed baby kale or other salad greens. Top with additional sunflower seeds if preferred. Seal tightly.

Red Pepper Pesto

  • Combine roasted peppers, basil, whole garlic, sunflower seeds, tomato paste, lemon juice and zest, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and salt in food processor. Pulse until combined.
  • With the motor running, drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil until well combined and smooth. You may need a little more or less depending on how *juicy* the red peppers are.

Notes

  • I’ve found the best success with whole roasted red peppers in a glass jar as opposed to diced peppers.  
  • If you don’t have fresh basil on hand, parsley makes an excellent substitution!
  • I used sunflower seeds which are an inexpensive pantry staple, but toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, and walnuts also taste great if you have them on hand.
  • These jars will keep in your fridge for 4-5 days.
  • Extra romesco will keep in fridge for 7 days. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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