Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 box of quinoa pasta shells
• 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
• ½ cup sundried tomatoes (not in oil and rehydrated with hot water), chopped
• ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• ½ cup pistachios (I prefer salted and roasted)
• 1 cup chopped spinach

Pesto

• 2 cups basil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Preparation

1. Prepare quinoa pasta shells per directions.
2. In a food processor blend basil, garlic, salt and pine nuts into a pesto.
3. Chop up artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives.
4. Once pasta is ready, mix in the pesto sauce until blended well with the pasta.
5. Mix in the artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, spinach and kalamata olives.
6. Mix in pistachios.