Farmers’ Market Pasta with Walnut Pesto

Here we are, in the thick of summer, and the farmers’ market is buzzing.

Also buzzing: me, after eating a big bowl of (VEGAN) summer veggie-loaded pasta with roasted garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice… and a little (large) dollop of thick and herby walnut pesto that’s borderline creamy and 100% addictive.

This recipe is:

• EASY.
• Vegan!
• Good hot or cold.
• Great as leftovers.
• Meant to work with almost any produce you bring home from the farmers’ market or happen to get in your CSA. Whatever you’ve got… we can work with it.

Farmers’ Market Pasta

First up: we roast those veggies.

Okay, I get it – summer avoidance of the oven and everything. So do you need to roast them? No.

You could grill them, saute them, or just leave them juicy, fresh, and raw.

HOWEVER, the best part about roasting them is that it provides you with a nice opportunity to make a little foil pack for some roasted garlic, and the roasted garlic is kind of next level here, so please factor that into your decision making.

Walnut Pesto

I’ve been a big fan of walnut pesto since way back here, and these last few weeks as I’ve been gorging myself on this pasta, it was so good to revisit this old flame.

It’s like a regular pesto, except with walnuts, and it’s a little thicker and creamier due to a run around in the food processor.

Can you use pine nuts? Can you add Parmesan? Can you skip the garlic? The answer to almost everything is yes. This recipes loves us all.

Pile these all in a bowl together and eat it hot, eat it cold, eat it with the pesto mixed in or dolloped off to the side.

This is summer, people! The rules are happy and loose, and everything will be delicious. ♡

Watch How To Make Our Farmers’ Market Pasta:

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Farmers’ Market Pasta with Walnut Pesto

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4.9 from 25 reviews

• 
  Author: Lindsay
• 
  Total Time: 50 minutes
• 
  Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Farmer’s Market Pasta! Vegan, summer veggie-loaded pasta with roasted garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and a big dollop of herby walnut pesto. THE BEST.

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Ingredients

Scale
1/2x1x2x

Farmers’ Market Pasta:

• 8 ounces pasta (half of a box of farfalle, rigatoni, penne, whatever you like)
• 6 cups fresh, seasonal veggies (see notes)
• 3 cloves garlic
• a drizzle of olive oil
• salt to taste

Vegan Walnut Pesto:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups tightly packed basil leaves (you can sub other greens if you don’t have enough basil)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 very small clove of garlic
• juice of 1 lemon (just use half if it’s really juicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

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Instructions

1. Veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the veggies on a rimmed baking pan. Toss with a little bit of olive oil and salt.
2. And Roasted Garlic: Peel your garlic cloves. Place them in the center of a small piece of foil, drizzle with a little oil, and wrap it up. Place on the baking pan. Roast everything for 20-30 minutes (depends on what kind of veggies you’re using). When done, mash the roasted garlic so it makes a paste.
3. Walnut Pesto: While the veggies roast, pulse pesto ingredients in a food processor.
4. Pasta: Also while the veggies roast, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, toss with oil, and set aside.
5. Toss: Toss your noodles with the roasted garlic and veggies. Serve with a scoop of the pesto. Eat it all hot or cold. YUM.

Notes

Veggies: I use about 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 2 cups chopped asparagus, and 2 cups sliced mushrooms. All from the farmers’ market! Certain veggies will obviously cook in more or less time, so play it by ear.

Pasta Doneness: I recommend a softer, more well-cooked noodle in this recipe!

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: farmers market pasta, vegan pasta, vegan pesto

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