Please don’t think I’m crazy superwoman making and photographing all these recipes with a newborn. Seeing as he made an early appearance, I had a few recipes made up, photographed and ready to share and a bit of writing is giving my brain a break from feed baby, feed myself, sleep, repeat (that doesn’t mean I’m not loving it though!).
You know I’m not a salad lover but throw some carbs in there and you just might convince me to have a bite or two.
Add feta and I will possibly eat a bowl of the stuff. This pesto pasta salad is a regular in my group of friends. I heard the other day that one of the husbands discovered it and it is his go-to side when he cooks dinner.
Here’s why it’s so good – it has leaves and sweet potato so it’s definitely healthy. It looks pretty. It’s easy to make. It’s quite filling so you can eat it as lunch if you like or add a piece of grilled meat to make a light dinner.
I’m still going – it lasts a few days in the fridge so you can make a big batch and eat it over a couple of days if you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind eating the same thing and finally, it has pesto and feta which are a winning combination in my book.
Whenever I’m asked to bring salad, which doesn’t happen often as my friends and family usually assign me to baked goods, this is the first one I think of. Now I’ve given myself a craving.
So what about you? What’s your go-to salad? Is there something you’re always asked to bring when someone asks for a plate?
Pesto pasta salad
Ingredients
- 500g dried spiral pasta
- 1/2 cup pesto sauce (I made my own
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200g feta, crumbled
- 1 small sweet potato, diced and roasted
- 100g rocket or baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
- Drain, leaving a little bit of water and transfer it to a big bowl.
- Stir through the pesto sauce and olive oil.
- Leave to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick together.
- Toss through the feta, sweet potato, rocket and pinenuts and chill until serving.
Yep, I love a good pasta salad… and make one very similar to this – with pumpkin instead of sweet potato, and parmesan instead of feta. So good! ;)
Yum Alison that sounds good too!
A perfect salad for munching slowly. I always make something different because I get bored otherwise.
I’m so glad to hear you are looking after yourself. This salad would be my favourite. When I have a salad sitting in the fridge I can nibble on it all day long. :)
Now to find the time to make it up!
LOL at Celia’s advice! That’s good to know! I’d believe it too :P And good on you for being organised and doing dishes ahead of time. But we really love hearing about Baby C! :D
Haha ok I will organise another post about him ASAP!
You DO know that you’re burning up an extra 1000 calories a day breastfeeding, right? :) Well, that’s what they told me 20 years ago, so I’m choosing to believe it. So keep eating, love, you need your energy! :) Sounds like you’re having a wonderful time, I’m so glad you’ve still got time to put posts up. And I’d eat this dish in a heartbeat! xx
I would love that to be true Celia! x
I saw this on FB. This is a gorgeous looking salad. I love pesto and I love pasta so this is fine by me. I agree with you that it has as lot of uses. Very handy to have a bowl of this in the fridge! xx
Mmm pesto pasta! xx
I see this along side a nice bit of grilled chicken on the babyQ.
When I had my babies people thought I was mad to cook every day but it was my down time. I love the kitchen and now love getting in there with a preschooler and a toddler, mess and all, and there is a lot of that, as well as some of our very own made up cooking songs. We must sound mad :D
I know what you mean Mel. I love being in the kitchen. At the moment we’re eating from the freezer for dinner but hopefully soon I’ll be back!
Claire, you’ve got everything I love in here. Please bring this when you come to my house :) Hope things are going well. Emery turns 1 next month. Enjoy every minute, it goes WAY too fast!! The up side to that is it keeps getting more fun!
1?!?! How is she 1 already?!? it does go way too fast but I guess that’s the trade off.
Funny, I don’t very often get asked to bring salad either. I usually get asked for dessert. My favourite salad at the moment has to be Greek salad with all that salty feta and lovely black olives. GG
Ooh yes feta and olives are a good combo! x
For someone who doesn’t really like salad you sure make a good one! This looks delicious and next time I am asked to bring a salad it will be this one. The homemade pesto will give extra kudos. My lazy go-to salad is rocket and parmesan, but this will make a nice change when something more filling is required. Hope you and bub are doing well.
Thanks Danielle. Oh yes parmesan and rocket is a great idea.
Go you for even finding the time to write! I love a good pasta salad!
Thanks Clare!