Chickpea Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 2 cups basil leaves (or 1 cup basil and 1 cup arugula, kale, cilantro or parsley)
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped (2 cloves, if you prefer more garlic)
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste

For the pasta salad:

• 8 ounces penne or fusilli (whole wheat, gluten-free or any other pasta you like)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup chopped arugula (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.

2. While the pasta cooks, place all pesto ingredients into a food processor. Pulse a few times, and then process till smooth and uniform. Scrape the bowl down and process a little more, adding an extra tablespoon oil, if needed, to thin the pesto.

3. When the pasta is ready, add it to a large mixing bowl along with the chickpeas. Add the pesto and mix everything well. Fold in the arugula, if using, and serve.

4. Enjoy!