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Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Pesto

Monday, April 27, 2009

We spent the weekend in sunny Washington for my friend's 40th birthday. He was quite surprised to see his friends from all over the Northwest converge for the event. We reminisced, drank lots of beer and, of coarse, made lots of fun of our newest elder. Dinner was tacos for 30 and there was a great bean salad, beans & rice and loads of great fillings. My favorite was the Mojo Sauce that was absolutely amazing. I will be making it for sure.

And then, I have my salad. I actually made this a couple weeks ago, but it seems appropriate to post it here. It's a cold salad with a nice refreshing taste and it'll be perfect picnic or bbq fixings as the weather warms.

Cilantro-Lime Pasta Salad

Pasta Salad with Cilantro Lime Pesto
Cilantro Lime Pesto:
1/2 cup unpacked fresh basil
1/2 cup unpacked fresh parsley
1 cup unpacked fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup almonds

Put the almonds in a blender and pulse to a meal, but not into powder. Toast the ground almonds in a dry frying pan, being careful not to burn. Mince the herbs and garlic and combine with the oil, lime juice, and almonds. Set aside. This pesto also freezes well.

Pasta Salad:
1 lb pasta
4 cups broccoli spears
1/2 cup cashews
2 tomatoes, diced
1 can olives (4.25 oz)
1 tsp Cajun or Taco seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook just until the pasta begins to soften. Add the broccoli and cashews and continue cooking until the pasta is done. Drain the pasta, broccoli and cashews into a colander and run cold water over it until completely cooled. Return to the (cold) pan or a large bowl. Toss together the pesto, pasta & broccoli and the rest of the ingredients.

Serve immediately or chill and serve later, although its best if served at room temperature.

4 Servings (8 as a side): 475 cal (24g fat, 55g carbs, 15g protein)

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5 comments

  1. Anonymous Says:
  2. This sounds great!

     
  3. I make my own mojo sauce. But I have a bit of expierence behind me. Being married to a Cuban for nearly 28 years gives me a shoe in on mojo.

    You have to remember that sauces vary from region to region and country to country. Ours is very simple.

    We heat on medium heat about 1/4 cup olive oil. We then add sofrito (An equal amount of blended onion and green pepper down to a puree) and 4-6 garlic cloves, pressed (No vampire sin this house) and the juice of 1 lemon or sour oranges (if you can find them)

    Heat through and serve over yucca or malanga and enjoy!!!

     
  4. Thanks for all your attractive recipes and delicious pictures :)!

    I been following for a while and today I posted on my blog a vegetarian dish so I thought about inviting you to see it (the pictures are not as good as yours).

    Chojin is the dish.

     
  5. Thank you both. I love food the Yucatan and Caribbean. I just don't run into it that often and have little experience cooking it. I will definitely be exploring more.

     
  6. Dazy Says:
  7. This would be my son's version of Heaven! I think I'd enjoy it, too!

     

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