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🍝 Pasta salad with homemade pesto

397 kcal · 30 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 600 g whole wheat pasta (e.g. penne)
• salt
• 500 g tomatoes
• 500 g small salad cucumber (1 small salad cucumber)
• 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 4 sprigs basil
• 4 tbsp pine nuts
• 100 g parmesan (in a block)
• 1 lemon
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 100 ml classic vegetable broth
• pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Boil plenty of water in a large pot and add salt.
2. 2. Cook the pasta in it al dente according to the package instructions.
3. 3. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly under running water.
4. 4. Cut out the hard stem bases of the tomatoes in a wedge shape.
5. 5. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
6. 6. Wash the cucumber thoroughly and dry it.
7. 7. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise.
8. 8. Carefully remove the seeds with a teaspoon.
9. 9. Cut the deseeded cucumber into cubes as well.
10. 10. Wash the parsley and basil and shake them dry.
11. 11. Pluck the leaves from the stems.
12. 12. Chop the herbs roughly.
13. 13. Heat a non-stick pan without fat.
14. 14. Roast the pine nuts in it until golden brown.
15. 15. Remove the pine nuts from the pan.
16. 16. Place them on a plate and let them cool down a bit.
17. 17. Grate the Parmesan finely.
18. 18. Cut the lemon in half.
19. 19. Squeeze the juice from the lemon.
20. 20. Drain the pasta.
21. 21. Let them drain well.
22. 22. Collect about 200 milliliters of the pasta cooking water.
23. 23. Place the cooled pine nuts in a tall container.
24. 24. Add the olive oil.
25. 25. Add the collected broth or pasta cooking water.
26. 26. Add the grated Parmesan.
27. 27. Add the chopped herbs.
28. 28. Add four tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
29. 29. Puree the mixture until creamy with a hand blender.
30. 30. Add more pasta cooking water if necessary.
31. 31. The paste can be a bit more liquid.
32. 32. The pasta will absorb more liquid later.
33. 33. Season the pesto with salt.
34. 34. Season the pesto with pepper.
35. 35. Add one to two tablespoons of lemon juice.
36. 36. Place the pasta in a large bowl.
37. 37. Add the tomato cubes.
38. 38. Add the cucumber cubes.
39. 39. Add the pesto.
40. 40. Mix everything well.
41. 41. Add a little more pasta cooking water if needed.
42. 42. Season the salad with salt.
43. 43. Season the salad with pepper.
44. 44. Add the remaining lemon juice.
45. 45. Serve the salad lukewarm.

Nutrition per serving

• kcal: 397
• Protein: 16 g · Fett/Fat: 15 g · Carbs: 49 g