About the Recipe
This recipe was born out of a lack of pine nuts at Lidl. I actually ended up loving the result, dare I say, more than regular pesto?? Try this unique take on a traditional classic and be prepared to have your taste buds dazzled.
Ingredients
Pasta salad
16 oz pasta, preferably fusilli or cavatappi
8 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
1/2 seedless English cucumber, diced - these are superior to normal cucumbers, I don't make the rules
1 medium red onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cubed or diced
8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
Pistachio pesto vinaigrette
2 cups fresh basil + extra leaves for decoration
2/3 cup pistachios, shelled
2 tbsp olive oil, add more as needed to thin
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Cook pasta according to package instructions and leave on counter or in fridge to reach room temperature or colder.
Step 2
Cut and dice vegetables - cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and red bell pepper.
Step 3
Make pistachio pesto vinaigrette in a blender or food processor, make take up to a few minutes to reach desired consistency. Add extra olive oil and / or champagne vinegar to thin mixture, ensuring you balance flavors evenly as you go. Add additional salt and / or black pepper to taste.
Step 4
Once pasta has cooled, combine all ingredients and pistachio pesto vinaigrette in a large bowl. Mixing well until vinaigrette is fully integrated. Top with extra basil leaves to decorate.