Boil your choice of pasta in salted water according to the package directions.
Make homemade pesto (if not using store-bought) by adding fresh basil leaves, olive oil, nutritional yeast, pine nuts (optional), lemon juice, and salt to a food processor and blending until creamy.
Cut 2 cups of cherry tomatoes in half and set aside. Drain a can of black olives and cut them in halves or into rings and set them aside.
Fill a large bowl with baby spinach. Drain the cooked pasta noodles and immediately add them to the bowl of baby spinach allowing it to wilt the spinach.
Top the pasta with 1 cup of pesto and mix well with the orzo and spinach.
Add cherry tomatoes, olives, salt, and red pepper flakes and toss again until everything is covered in pesto and the spinach has wilted slightly. Add fried tofu if desired.
Serve warm or refrigerate and serve it cold later.
Notes
This pasta is also delicious when served with vegan feta sprinkled on top. I like to use my homemade tofu feta for this.
Toasted pine nuts are also a great addition to this vegan pesto pasta salad.