🍜 LENTIL PASTA PESTO WITH PAN-ROASTED VEGGIES (V-GF) 🍜

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Ciao amici miei! Today I take you on a journey to Italy with my 100% plant-powered, gluten-free take on an Italian classic - Pasta Pesto.

One of my good friends here in Cambodia is Italian and has a restaurant. Unfortunately, there aren’t many dishes on his menu I can eat, so I usually go there for a glass of Italian wine and a chat. In my humble opinion, Italy does produce the best wines… think Brunello, Barolo, Chianti… though I don’t drink alcohol very often, I can appreciate a good glass of red wine once in a while. Too bad I can’t enjoy it with his food.

Nearly all his dishes contain cheese, eggs, or other animal products. But that doesn’t mean his cooking can’t be an inspiration to my dishes.

I love Italian cuisine for its simplicity and honor to the taste of real, fresh ingredients without the use of many seasonings. PLUS, pasta dishes make easy, fast weeknight dinners on a budget.

This post is my entry for the ecoTrain Cooking on A Budget Competition


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LENTIL PASTA PESTO WITH PAN-ROASTED VEGGIES (V-GF)


This vegan and gluten-free pasta pesto with pan-roasted vegetables is rich, packed with flavor and health-promoting nutrients, and ready in 30 minutes or less.

Though you can make this dish with any pasta you like, we opted for gluten-free pasta made from lentils. Though we still eat gluten-containing foods on occasion, we try to avoid them as much as possible in our diet.

For years we have been controlling my hubby’s autoimmune disease through a healthy lifestyle. It has been over 7 years now he hasn’t taken any meds and he feels great. But that’s a story for another time. Let me just tell you that his health really changed for the better ever since we eliminated dairy from his diet and kept gluten-containing products to an absolute minimum.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 3)


  • 250g red lentil pasta

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FYI: this certified GF and non-GMO Barilla red lentil pasta is made with red lentil flour. It is a good source of plant-based protein and fiber. PLUS, it tastes great. The pasta has a deliciously distinctive red lentil flavor and smooth al dente texture.

For the pesto sauce


  • 3 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
  • ⅓ cup toasted walnuts
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 T lime or lemon juice
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • Himalayan pink salt to taste
  • ½ avocado
  • Pasta cooking liquid

For the pan-roasted veggies


  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • ¾ cup red onion, chopped
  • 2.5-3 cups zucchini, chopped
  • Himalayan pink salt and black pepper to taste

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Instructions


Combine all pesto ingredients, except the avocado and cooking liquid, in a blender or food processor and process until a smooth texture. When smooth add the avocado and blend again.

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Saute the onion until soft and fragrant. Then add the zucchini and cherry tomatoes.

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Stir well and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the instruction on the package. When al dente, drain and add back to the cooking pot. Keep some of the cooking liquid.

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Add the pesto to the lentil pasta. Add a little cooking water as needed if you think the pasta-pesto mix is too dry. You could add the veggies straight away to the pot and mix or add the pesto-coated pasta in a bowl and top with the pan-roasted veggies and some extra nutritional yeast.

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WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY AND HEALTHY HOLIDAY SEASON ღ ღ ღ


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