Christmas pasta salad

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of broccoli (about 700 g), cut into florets
• 450 g mezze rigatoni pasta or other short tubular pasta
• 1/3 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 1.5 cups small spinach
• 0.5 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan (about 55 g)
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp chopped chives, plus extra for serving
• 2 roasted sweet peppers, patted dry and thinly sliced ​​(about 1 1/2 cups)
• 0.5 cups sun-dried tomatoes in oil, patted dry and thinly sliced
• 220 g small mozzarella balls (or pearl mozzarella)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preparation:

1. Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Drop the broccoli into the boiling water and cook until the florets are crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to cold water to stop the cooking. Let it sit until completely cool, then drain and set the broccoli aside.
3. Bring the water in the pan back to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander and transfer to a large bowl.
4. Toss pasta with 2 tablespoons olive oil to coat evenly and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add the remaining 1/3 cup olive oil to a blender along with the spinach, Parmesan, almonds, basil, lemon juice, chives, and 1/4 cup water and blend until smooth.
6. Pour the pesto over the pasta and add the reserved broccoli, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss gently to distribute the ingredients evenly.
7. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 4 hours.