Vegan Lemon Pasta Salad in 35 Minutes

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the chickpea pasta and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package directions until it's al dente and has a slight chew. Note: Overcooking chickpea pasta makes it mushy very quickly.
2. Drain the pasta in a colander. Do not rinse it with cold water. Note: Keeping the pasta warm helps the dressing adhere.
3. Pour the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper into a mason jar. Shake vigorously until the mixture is opaque and thick.
4. Transfer the warm pasta to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over it and stir gently until every noodle is glistening.
5. Fold in the diced red onion and thawed frozen peas using a spatula.
6. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to cool down. Note: This prevents the arugula from wilting immediately.
7. Gently fold in the baby arugula, fresh basil, and vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast.
8. Taste and add an extra pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon if needed.