Vegan Lemon Pesto Pasta with Veggies

This is a wonderful savory dish with deep flavors of pesto, lemon and lots of fresh veggies

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Keyword: vegan, pesto, pasta, lemon, veggies, vegan dad

Servings: 6

In a small fry pan, put a touch of olive oil and the pine nuts and roast over medium heat. You just want the pine nuts to start to brown. Add a little salt and pepper and remove from heat.
In a food processor, add all the ingredients except the olive oil. Blend until smooth. Start to pour in the olive oil a little at a time until you get a nice and creamy texture.
Place the lemon pesto in a covered container and place in the fridge.

In a large pot, fill with water, add some salt and bring to a boil.
Chop up all your veggies (not your peas......:).
In the small fry pan, add a little olive oil and the halved tomatoes. Roast on high, just until the tomatoes start to soften. Remove from heat.
In a larger fry pan, add a little olive oil, the garlic, the mushrooms, artichokes, peas and the kale. Cook over medium heat until the kale and mushrooms start to soften.
In the pot of water is boiling, add the asparagus and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and remove the asparagus from the water - don't drain the water!
Once the water is back to boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the directions. Save a cup of the pasta water before draining.
After the pasta is done and drained, place the pesto into the pot and add a little of the pasta water. You want the pesto to loosen up a bit. Then add the pasta back in and stir to coat well.
Finally, add all the veggies, the grated parmesan and salt and pepper. I added a couple tablespoons of lemon juice as well to bring up the level of lemon flavor.
Serve and ENJOY!!!!