MARINATED PESTO ROSSO SALAD

Marinated Pesto Rosso Salad image

A delicious vegetarian salad perfect for everyone! Top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving.

Provided by CHERYLPTW

Categories Salad Vegetable Salad Recipes Cauliflower

Time 1h56m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package sun-dried tomato pasta
1 cup asparagus tips
1 ½ cups thinly sliced roasted red peppers
1 cup halved yellow pear tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced yellow summer squash
1 cup purple cauliflower florets
1 cup thinly sliced fennel
½ cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and oil reserved
2 cups fresh basil leaves
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup mascarpone cheese
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain. Let pasta chill.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus tips and cook uncovered until bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
Mix pasta, asparagus tips, roasted red peppers, onion, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cauliflower, fennel, and parsley in a large bowl.
Combine sun-dried tomatoes, basil leaves, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, mascarpone cheese, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process together and slowly add reserved sun-dried tomato oil and olive oil. Blend until dressing is smooth.
Pour dressing over pasta-vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 573.6 calories, Carbohydrate 36.3 g, Cholesterol 13.1 mg, Fat 44.5 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 10 g, SaturatedFat 8.2 g, Sodium 677.6 mg, Sugar 3.8 g