Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Pesto

This pasta salad and creamy avocado pesto is SO refreshing and SO delicious! You can add any salad veggies you desire and crispy baked salt & pepper chickpeas for some protein! In fact the chickpeas go so well with this pasta because they add a nice salty crunch! Delicious!

You could make this pasta salad the day before and take this to work/school in a lunchbox!

Keep chilled in the fridge in an air-tight container for 2 days.

Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Pesto

This pasta salad and creamy avocado pesto is SO refreshing and SO delicious! You can add any salad veggies you desire and crispy baked salt & pepper chickpeas for some protein.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian-Inspired

Keyword Pasta, Plant-Based Pasta, Recipe, Vegan, Vegan Pasta

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings people

Author Alex-Leigh

Ingredients

2-3 servings rigatoni pasta
1/4 cucumber
10 cherry tomatoes
400 gram chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 sprinkle chili flakes

Avocado Pesto

2 avocado
1 lemon only use the juice
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley
salt to taste

Instructions

First cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet until al dante, then drain all the water from the pan, rinse with cold water to cool the pasta down. Add the pasta to a large bowl set aside .
Prepare your salad vegetables for the pasta salad by dicing and slicing them up, then stir them in with your pasta.
To make the pesto, add all the pesto ingredients into a jug, then using a hand stick blender, blend everything until smooth and creamy. Taste to see if you need to add more salt.
Stir the pesto into the pasta salad until the pasta is completely saturated, sprinkle with dried chilli flakes for a little kick. Enjoy!

If you would like to make some crispy salt & pepper chickpeas with the pasta salad:

Preheat oven to 200c/180c fan/400f/gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking parchment.
Drain & rinse a 400g can of chickpeas, then dry them with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Add the chickpeas to a bowl then season with plenty of sea salt and cracked black pepper. Stir everything together.
Place your salt & pepper chickpeas onto your lined baking tray, then bake in the oven for 15 mins until the chickpeas are crispy and golden.
Add to your pasta salad. Enjoy!