Stashcook: Meal Planner & Recipe Keeper

Tropical Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas and Almonds Recipe

Tropical Pesto Pasta with Chickpeas and Almonds recipe

Stashcook

This pasta salad mixes sweet mango and creamy avocado with a homemade pesto. It's full of veggies like carrots and snap peas. Chickpeas and almonds add crunch and protein. It's a yummy, colorful meal for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 cup sugar snap peas, halved
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz rotini pasta
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

Method

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. In a blender, combine half of the diced mango, the diced avocado, basil leaves, minced garlic, lime juice, olive oil, crushed red pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth, adding a little water if needed to reach a creamy consistency.
3
In a large bowl, combine the grated carrots, halved sugar snap peas, chickpeas, and the remaining diced mango.
4
Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the vegetables and chickpeas.
5
Pour the mango-avocado pesto over the pasta mixture and toss to coat everything evenly.
6
Garnish the pasta salad with chopped almonds before serving.
7
Divide the pasta salad among plates or bowls and enjoy!