I have been making basil pesto for a while, but up until recently I had only been using it for pasta. When I came across the idea of using pesto in a dish like tilapia with pesto and roasted tomatoes, it opened my mind to new possibilities. When I was at the farmers market they had big bunches of basil that I just could not pass up on. I was thinking that a whole grain salad with a pesto dressing would be a good idea. At the farmers market I also found some of the first of the locally grown zucchini and they still had some asparagus and my salad was taking form. Since the zucchini and asparagus were so fresh I decided to simply blanch them and enjoy their freshness. I like to complete my salads with beans, nuts and cheese. I was also planning on adding some fresh peas but I completely forgot. This salad was pretty easy to throw together and is was nice and fresh and summery and good! The basil pesto worked really well in the salad the lemon juice brightened everything up. I am looking forward to discovering more ways to enjoy pesto.
Ingredients:
1 cup farro
1 zucchini (thinly sliced)
1 handful asparagus (cut into bite sized pieces)
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup pecorino romano (crumbled)
Directions:
1. Cook the farro as directed.
2. Blanch the zucchini and asparagus in boiling water.
3. Mix the basil pesto, olive oil and lemon juice.
4. Toss every thing to mix.
Similar Recipes:
Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Farro Salad
Roasted Asparagus and Red Pepper Farro Salad
Mushroom and Thyme Farro Salad
Zucchini and Farro Gratin
Take a look at the No Croutons Required: Herbs roundup at Tinned Tomatoes.
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