Creamy Pasta Salad with Pesto (no Mayo!)
This pesto pasta salad with fresh and sundried tomatoes, cucumber, and smoked tofu is tossed with the best creamy pesto dressing (without mayo) that coats the twisted noodles perfectly. Pack it up for a picnic, a potluck, or as a work lunch! Note: A bit more or less of any of the ingredients is totally fine. The recipe makes a balanced pasta salad and should be more of a guideline.
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 340 g /12 oz fusilli pasta (or other shapes like bow ties/fafalle, rotini, or penne)
- 170 g /6 oz smoked tofu
- 285 g /10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 English cucumber (230 g or about 1 heaping cup chopped)
- 60 g (about 1/3 cup) sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 100 g (1/3 cup + 1.5 tablespoons) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) white wine vinegar (alternatively use apple cider vinegar)
- 1.5 tablespoons (20 ml) olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons (40 g) pesto (I like sundried tomato pesto but use any pesto you like)
- 2 tablespoons crunchy chili oil (optional but recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook pasta:
- Cook pasta according to packet instructions. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
Chop tofu and veggies:
- In the meantime, cut tofu into cubes and transfer to a large bowl.
- Wash and half/quarter cherry tomatoes. Wash cucumber and slice lengthwise. If it is rather seedy, remove seeds using a spoon. Chop cucumber. Chop sundried tomatoes.
- Add all the chopped veggies to the bowl.
Prepare dressing:
- In a second bowl, whisk together sour cream, vinegar, olive oil, pesto, and chili oil.
Mix ingredients & enjoy:
- Stir together pasta, chopped ingredients and dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a glogg of vinegar if the salad requires more acid.
- Enjoy the salad right away at room temperature or put it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It’s a great dish to make in advance.