Pasta with Fennel Pesto

Vaishali recipe and photo credit

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound gluten-free pasta (I like Tinkyada brown rice pasta. You can use any small-shaped pasta here.) Cook according to package directions and drain.

For the roasted vegetables:

• 1 fennel bulb, cut off the leaves and set aside for the pesto
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 sweet onion
• Dice all the vegetables into 1- inch chunks and place in a baking dish.

Add:

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Roast the vegetables in a 400-degree oven, stirring a couple of times during cooking, until they are fork-tender and coated with a balsamic glaze. This will take 35 minutes.

For the pesto:

• Leaves reserved from the fennel bulb, chopped into smaller pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, but great both nutritionally and for that cheesy flavor
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Cook the pasta as instructed on the package
• Place all the ingredients for the pesto in a food processor (except the olive oil) and process until coarsely powdered. With the motor running, pour in the olive oil until you have an even paste.
• Place the pasta, roasted veggies and the pesto in a bowl.

  • Mix well and serve immediately.
  • For an even more fennel-y flavor, add 1 tsp lightly toasted fennel seeds to the pesto

• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts