This vegan pesto pasta recipe is easy and delicious, with a fresh taste that will have you coming back for more. All you need is a few ingredients and a pot of boiling water, so it’s an excellent choice for budget-friendly diners. Pesto is traditionally made with ingredients loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. To keep the delicious flavor without the heavy ingredients, try making this vegan pesto recipe.
Inspiration for this Recipe
Pesto is a fantastic sauce, versatile enough for anything from pesto pizza to pasta, but it’s traditionally made with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic and olive oil which is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. To keep the delicious flavor without all the heavy ingredients and animal products, try making this vegan pesto recipe!
Looking for more vegan food tips, see our Vegan Meal Plan for Weight Loss
You can see an overview of the instructions in the Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe video below
Ingredients for Vegan Pesto Recipe
The recipe below is for a large family gathering, you can half the recipe if your family is smaller or do more if you’re inviting other families.
For the Vegan Pesto Sauce:
• 1.5 cup (200g) Pine Nuts
• 1/2 cup (120ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 20 Green Olives (pitted)
• 2 tsp Crushed Garlic
• 2/3 cup (40g) Nutritional Yeast
• 2 cup Fresh Basil Leaves (packed cup)
• 2 cup Baby Spinach Leaves (packed cup)
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Other great vegan food articles, Is Angel Food Cake Vegan?
For the Pasta:
• 32oz (1000g) Penne Pasta (regular or gluten-free)
• 30 Cherry Tomatoes
Pro Tip: This vegan pesto sauce is out of this world on vegan pesto pizza!
Cooking Instructions:
Below are step by step instructions for making this delicious dish!
1- In a skillet, toast pine nuts to a golden brown.
2- Cook cherry tomatoes in skillet with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes until wilted.
3- Meanwhile, when you have the toasted pine nuts and other ingredients ready to toss in the pasta, make the pesto sauce by placing all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy or smooth. The consistency should be similar to the image below.
4- Add pesto sauce to pasta and toss thoroughly.
5- Add cherry tomato and mix
Enjoy your vegan pesto pasta!
Conclusion
This vegan pesto recipe is delicious! The pine nuts and olives provide a lovely rich flavor that you wouldn’t expect from a vegan dish. The nutritional yeast adds a little cheesy taste that helps to satisfy the taste buds of non-vegans. Even better, no one will believe it when you tell them it’s vegan! For more vegan recipe videos, please subscribe to our channel. If you’re looking for an exciting and unforgettable twist on an old favorite, this recipe has your name written all over it.
