Veggie Pesto Red Lentil Penne

I shared with you last week how I’m totally crushing on vegetarian recipes at the moment and how Barilla Red Lentil Pasta is helping me make uh-mazing plant-based pasta dishes that are nutritious and delicious. If you want to check out more of how I discovered Barilla Red Lentil Pasta and learn how to make my Spinach and Garlic Red Lentil Rotini, be sure to click here. It’s a fabulous recipe and truthfully I didn’t think I could top it but alas, I even surprise myself sometimes. After falling in love with Barilla Red Lentil Rotini, I decided to try it’s cousin, Barilla Red Lentil Penne and I was able to create an unbelievably good vegetarian Veggie Pesto Red Lentil Penne. Read on to learn how to make it.

This vegetarian dish is bursting with flavors and just like the dish I made last week, the Barilla Red Lentil Pasta makes it such a delicious creation.

As a little reminder, you can purchase our four-pack of Barilla Red Lentil Pasta on Amazon by clicking here!

I shared with you last week how I was trading out traditional pasta for Barilla Red Lentil Pasta because I love the fact that it’s made from one simple ingredient that I can actually pronounce….red lentils. Knowing what goes in my food is so important to me and I adore that this gluten free plant-based pasta alternative has the taste of pasta while being a fiber rich source of plant-based protein. It’s important to me that it’s Non-GMO Certified and grain free and seriously, ya’ll, it’s a perfect addition to my vegetarian and vegan recipes because in addition being made right, it also tastes amazing! Let me show you how easily I turned Barilla Red Lentil Penne into this totally drool-worthy dish!

After falling in love with Barilla Red Lentil Rotini last week, I knew that adding Barilla Red Lentil Penne to this Veggie Pesto Red Lentil Penne was the perfect way to really make this dish shine. I’ll tell you that I fell in love with the taste and texture of Barilla Red Lentil pasta the first time I cooked with it and I’ve found that it’s a great gluten free pasta substitution. As an added bonus, it’s cooked to al dente perfection in just seven minutes! So, of course I started this easy dish by cooking my Barilla Red Lentil Pasta to perfection.

Once it was cooked, I drained it, reserving 1/2 cup of my pasta water, and set it aside.

With my pasta cooked to al dente perfection I added my sauté pan to the stove and poured in my extra virgin olive oil. Then I immediately added my broccoli florets and asparagus pieces and cooked them until they were slightly tender (about five minutes).

As soon as my veggies were cooked to the point where they were tender but still crunchy, I added my Barilla Red Lentil Penne back into the pan. Then I spooned in my pesto sauce.

Now, in my experience, a great pesto pasta requires two things. One, don’t overdo it on the pesto or in other words, less is more. Second, do you remember that pasta water I reserved earlier? As soon as I had added my pesto, I poured it back into my pasta creation.

The pasta water really helps the pesto spread and helps create a creamy dish that’s not overpowering. After mixing my pesto and pasta water into my veggies and Barilla Red Lentil Penne, I added in my cherry tomatoes and tossed the mixture one last time to incorporate all the flavors (and to make sure my pesto was on every bite of this crazy delicious dish).

Then, all that was left to do was transfer my Veggie Pesto Red Lentil Penne to a bowl and garnish it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Just like that I had another perfect gluten free, vegetable-based pasta creation that’s flavorful, satisfying and best of all, that I can feel great about serving my family.

If you haven’t discovered the taste of Barilla Red Lentil Pasta yet, now is the time. I’ve given you not one but two great ways to try it and if you’re anything like me, I think you’re going to fall in love with this gluten free pasta alternative that is perfect for satisfying the pasta lover in all of us!

To get started, be sure to click here to purchase your Barilla Red Lentil Pasta 4-pack on Amazon today. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out the Barilla Chickpea Rotini as well! Just like Barilla Red Lentil Pasta, it’s made of one simple ingredient (chickpeas) and is a great addition to your favorite vegetarian meals. And to help all your friends out who may not have discovered this delicious plant-based pasta yet, be sure to leave a review of how amazing it is and what you created with it!

Now tell me, what pasta creation will you make using Barilla Red Lentil Pasta?