Creamy Pea Pesto Rotini with Sautéed Zucchini and Spicy Chard

This creamy pasta is a actually a Rachel Ray and What the Hell does a Pink Haired Girl Eat inspired dish with my own random twists. I must have been craving green because this dish is just overflowing with green goodness. Between the spinach rotini, the pea pesto, the chard and the zucchini, this could quite possibly be the poster child for the "go green" movement. But creamier. And more Chardy.

I started with a whole bunch of spinach rotini that I bought in bulk at Market of Choice (not measured), and cooked it until a little al dente. For the pesto, I blended up a bunch of basil, a bunch of thyme, and just a pinch of mint (all from my garden) with a bag of defrosted frozen peas, salt, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and some pine nuts. Then I sautéed som

e zucchini and whipped up a half batch of cashew ricotta, courtesy Veganomicon. 

After the zucchini was done sautéing, I added the cooked pasta, pesto, and ricotta all into the pan and mixed them all together. Voila! Vegany green goodness. 

But in case you didn't get enough green from the pesto and you want some more vitamin A, cook up some delicious local chard to go along with  your pasta. I like chard wilted together, stems and all, because I think the contrasting texture of the firmer stems and wilted leaves is just fabulous. To each her own, but I just throw some oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, and just a touch of brown sugar in the bottom of the pan and cook it all over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, just until the flavors of everything really start to come out. Then I toss all of the chard in (cut up and separated as you please) with about a cup of water and a half cup of soy sauce and let it all cook down for a about 5-10 minutes. 

If you start the chard at about the same time as the zucchini is just finishing

 up, everything should be done at about the same time. My dad is the master of food timing, and while I try my darndest to keep everything together, I usually can't quite get it right :)

Pea Pesto

1 bag frozen peas, thawed

2 large bunches basil

2 big sprigs of thyme

7-8 leaves of mint

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon oil

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup pine nuts

Cashew Ricotta (half batch!)

1/4 cup raw cashew pieces

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove fresh garlic

1/2 lb firm tofu, drained and crumbled

(I left out the dried basil and salt because there is already plenty in the pesto)

Chard

1 bunch Swiss or Rainbow Chard

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp brown sugar (plus more to taste)

1 cup water

1/2 cup soy sauce

There we go! Our first vegan meal together. Wasn't that easy? And good? Yummm.