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.
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!