Good Food Friday Eats :: Pesto Pasta Salad

Martha Goes Green - a vegetarian cookbook, hit our shelves at The Pagoda Tree a month back. Boy has this little gem walked out the door - we have just received our 3rd shipment! Even if your not a vegetarian, you will love this book. The recipes are so delicious, I can't stop sharing them!

My recipe today is straight out of Martha. If you're looking for a gluten free option, substitute the pasta accordingly.

Enjoy!

Pesto pasta salad

serves 4

• 400g penne pasta
• ½ Tbsp oil
• ½ red onion, sliced
• ¾ cup sliced black olives
• ¾ cup roughly chopped sundried tomatoes
• ½ cup roughly torn basil leaves
• 4 Tbsp pesto
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 200g feta cheese (optional)

Cook penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (firm to the bite). Drain pasta and set aside to cool. Heat oil in a small to medium sized pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Remove from heat and add olives, sun dried tomatoes, basil leaves and pesto and stir to combine. In a large bowl toss together cooled pasta, pesto mixture and toasted pine nuts until thoroughly mixed. If desired, serve topped with crumbled feta.