Spaghetti with Pesto and Veggies

• Vegetarian

• Produce

  • 1 Avocado, large
  • 2 1/2 cups Basil, packed
  • 1 pint Cherry tomatoes, red
  • 1/2 pint Cherry tomatoes, yellow
  • 2 cloves Garlic

• Condiments

  • 1 cup Black olives
  • 1/2 cup Zesty italian dressing

• Pasta & Grains

  • 1 lb Spaghetti, Thin

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 3/4 cup Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar

• Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/4 cup Pine nuts

• Dairy

  • 1 cup Mozzarella, heaping
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Found on chelseasmessyapron.com

Description

Directions

• Boil the spaghetti until al dente according to package directions.
• Meanwhile prep the veggies: remove the skin and pit of the avocado and chop into small pieces.
• Halve the red and yellow cherry tomatoes.
• Cube the mozzarella into small cubes. Slice the black olives.
• Drain the spaghetti and rinse in cold water.
• Place the spaghetti in a large bowl and toss with the red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Add in all the veggies.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pesto. In a food processor or blender, add 2 cups very tightly packed basil, garlic, and pine nuts or walnuts. Pulse until chopped.
• Add 2/3 cup olive oil and pulse until JUST smooth. Dont over mix or it can sometimes become bitter.
• Stir in the Parmesan cheese (dont pulse it in) and taste. Season with salt and pepper and a few squeezes of lemon if desired.
• Toss the basil pesto with the spaghetti salad. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Ribbon the remaining 1/2 cup basil and toss with salad.
• You can definitely leave the salad at this point, but we love to toss the salad with some Zesty Italian dressing (might sound weird but seriously SO good). This is pretty much just to taste or consistency that we like. If you arent going to add in the dressing you may need a little bit extra olive oil to smooth everything together.
• Enjoy with a drizzle of fresh lemon if desired.