pasta salad with arugula lemon pesto

Dinner

Pasta Salad with Arugula Lemon Pesto

If you want proof that school gardens help create sophisticated and adventurous eaters, look no further. Just say "arugula-lemon pesto" to yourself and marvel that the origin of this pasta salad recipe is a cookbook that is an offshoot of school garden programs in Vermont. Recipe adapted from VT Feed.

Ingredients

1 pound whole-wheat rotini or penne pasta
2 ½ cups packed baby arugula
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
¾ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
5 cloves garlic
zest & juice of 1 medium lemon, divided
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed
1 cup slivered sun-dried tomatoes
⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
ground pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, combine arugula, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon zest and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. With the motor running, add lemon juice and oil; process until combined.
Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl and add the pesto, beans, sun-dried tomatoes, onion and pepper; toss to combine. Add just enough of the reserved pasta-cooking water to get a creamy consistency; toss to coat.