Description
This pasta salad recipe is perfect for summer, with a vegan Parmesan made from walnuts and nutritional yeast.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz. orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3/4 cup basil leaves
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain in a colander, then return to cooking pot and add 2 tsp olive oil and stir to keep the noodles from sticking together. If you want to serve this salad cold, let pasta cool for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
- To make vegan parmesan, combine the walnuts, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt in a food processor. Pulse for about 15 seconds to create a coarse meal. Try not to over-process.
- Slice cherry tomatoes in half and julienne the basil leaves. Zest one medium lemon.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the vegan Parmesan, tomatoes, basil, and lemon zest. Stir together. Add about 3 Tbsp olive oil and juice of 1/2 lemon. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired (I used a whole lemon). Add salt to taste, and serve.
Notes
Vegan Parmesan inspired by Minimalist Baker.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Side Dishes
Keywords: orzo, lemon, basil, vegan, summer