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We’ve loaded this summery vegan pasta salad with lightly steamed broccoli, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes, but any combination of summer vegetables will also work with the creamy and ultra-versatile red pepper pesto. Try more of our delicious and filling vegan pasta salad recipes!

red pepper pesto

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

Ingredients

Pasta
  • 12 ounces brown rice rotini pasta (4 cups dry)
  • 4 cups broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (12 ounces)
  • 1 cup quartered artichoke hearts
  • 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (6 ounces)
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn
Red Pepper Pesto
  • 3 large roasted bell peppers from the jar, rinsed and drained (1½ packed cups)
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain, rinse cooked pasta under cold water, and then transfer to a large bowl.
  2. In a covered pot fitted with a steamer basket over 1 to 2 inches of water, steam broccoli over medium-high heat until tender when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add to pasta.
  3. To make the Red Pepper Pesto, combine the bell peppers, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a blender. Blend until smooth.
  4. Add the artichoke hearts, tomatoes, and shallots to the pasta mixture. Top with sauce, and mix gently to coat pasta and vegetables. Add salt and basil, mix well, and taste to adjust seasoning.
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5 Comments

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(5 from 4 votes)
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Corissa3 months ago
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I love this dish.

Jessika Leonard9 months ago
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Had to make this with fresh bell peppers, but I really liked it! Great way to get in lots of veggies in a delicious way!

Kathi11 months ago
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Darshana,
I have used your book “Flavor” extensively until I could figure out WFPB cooking on my own. I have tried using recipes from other sources and they just didn’t cut it as far as flavor. Thank you for helping me transition to WFPB lifestyle.

Kathi11 months ago
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Very good!

Kristin1 year ago
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I subbed cashews for the pine nuts because that’s all I had, still tasted amazing!

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Broccoli Pasta Salad with Red Pepper Pesto

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a vegan chef specializing in whole-food, plant-based cuisine. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of the Forks Over Knives: Flavor! cookbook, recipe author for the book Forks Over Knives Family, and recipe contributor to The New York Times best-selling book The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives magazine, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit darshanaskitchen.com for more.

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