Description
Summer Pasta Salad w/ Grilled Zucchini, Corn and Cilantro Pesto is made with gluten-free rice noodles and loaded up with healthy summer veggies, then tossed in the most flavorful Cilantro Pesto…. deliciously addicting! Vegan and Gluten-free!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 ounces rice noodles
- 2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in half, seeded
- 1/2 an onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges
- 1–2 ears of fresh corn ( or use frozen, roasted corn ), shucked
- oil, salt and pepper for veggies
- Garnish with cherry tomatoes, lime wedges, pepitas, cilantro leaves
Vegan Cilantro Pesto:
- 1 large bunch cilantro (thin stems ok)
- 2 fat garlic cloves
- 1–2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno ( optional)
- 1/2 cup olive oil – make sure it is not overly bitter
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (raw)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional- only if you like the smoky flavor)
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high, and boil water for the rice noodles.
- Prep the veggies – brush or spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles, ( I put them in a baking dish) let stand for 3 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Place the veggies on the grill, lower heat to medium, cover, checking the veggies every few minutes or so….turning.
- Make the Cilantro Pesto. Place all the cilantro, garlic and jalapeño in food processor and pulse repeatedly until finely chopped. Add the olive oil, pumpkin seeds, coriander, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and pulse until combined but not too smooth. You should have a fairly loose (runny) pesto -perfect for tossing the salad. Taste, adjust lime to taste. If bitter, add a little sugar.
- Once the veggies are done, cut into bite-sized pieces. Give the pasta a final cool water rinse, loosening it up. Drain and place in a bowl. Add the Cilantro Pesto and the veggies and an additional ½ teaspoon salt, and possibly more to taste. Adjust lime, salt and heat according to your taste preference. I’ll sometimes add a pinch of chipotle pepper, or chili flakes, or even more finely chopped jalapeño to bump up the heat.
- Place on a serving platter or in a bowl, top with halved cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with more pepitas and cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Feel free to add crumbled cheese- queso fresco is nice.
To make it a meal, top it with grilled halloumi cheese, grilled shrimp, grilled tofu or chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 382
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 243.1 mg
- Fat: 27.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.2 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
