Vegan Chicken & Tomato Pesto Pasta

It’s been hotter than a dragon’s armpit here in the UK. Due to this weather, I’ve been craving fuss-free, simple things that I can make, that don’t make me feel mere moments away from spontaneous human combustion. This combines a simple pesto, mock chicken and pasta to create a delicious pasta salad

Make the pesto using the following;

You’ll need;

120g rocket
30g fresh basil
40g hazelnuts
20g vegan cheese, I chose to use Prosociano which is by Violife
Two tablespoons of lemon juice
Two tablespoons of oil
30ml water
One large clove of garlic
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method;

All you need to do is pop everything into a blender or food processor and then blend until you achieve the desired consistency. Personally, I prefer to have some texture in there. So for me, it should still retain some discernible pieces of herbs, nuts or garlic. But if you prefer your pesto to be smoother, simply blend it for longer
Once it’s blended, set it aside

Vegan Chicken and Cherry Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

Serves; Three to four Cook time; 20 minutes

For the salad, you’ll need;

200g cherry tomatoes, halved
225g pasta (this is the dry uncooked weight)
240g cooked mock chicken
Two tablespoons of egg-free mayonnaise
100g of the pesto you made earlier

Method;

Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Once it’s cooked, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process
While you’re cooking the pasta, cook the mock chicken as per the instructions on the packet
Once the mock chicken is cooked, thinly slice and set aside. This particular mock chicken is from Aldi, they’re frozen grilled no-chicken pieces that are £1.79 per pack
Finally, add the pasta, mock chicken, cherry tomatoes, pesto and mayonnaise into the large mixing bowl and then fold together. Refrigerating overnight, or at least for a few hours would be best if possible