Vegan Pesto Pasta

This simple vegan pesto is such a delicious staple to keep in the fridge! It’s filled with healthy fats, dairy-free “cheesy” flavor, and best of all- veggies!

I love throwing it together with this easy pasta salad during the week as a main dish or side dish. It has so much flavor, and is so quick to make.

Pesto is always a staple in our house. My husband loves it on toast or in sandwiches, so I decided it was time to make my own. Pesto is actually really easy to make, but I had to give it a little ‘something nutritious’ spin.

I took the typical ingredients you’d normally find in your store bought pesto, and made some substitutions to keep this one dairy-free!

The results? Super creamy, flavorful, extra green pesto.

When I don’t plan on prepping a protein for dinner, I love to use a bean-based pasta in this recipe for some added protein and fiber. You can use any pasta you like, and even leave out the added veggies to keep this a basic pesto pasta recipe!

What you’ll need for this simple vegan pesto:

1. Basil
2. Spinach
3. Pine nuts
4. Olive oil- grab some extra virgin olive oil for the best quality!
5. Garlic
6. Nutritional yeast- do not skip this! nutritional yeast is what contributes that “cheesy” flavor
7. Lemon juice
8. Sea salt

Sounds simple? Believe me when I tell you IT IS!

This pesto is definitely going to be on repeat in our house. I can already think of so many uses for it- like pesto pizza, pesto crusted salmon, and pesto roasted potatoes! YUM.

The possibilities are truly endless, and I can’t wait for you guys to try it out.

Other vegan dinner ideas you may like:

Crispy Walnut Lentil Tacos

Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Vegan Lentil Meatballs

Vegan Pesto Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Course: Main

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

NOTES:
You can skip the veggies in this dish and enjoy the pasta with the pesto as is if desired!

Ingredients

• 12 oz pasta, I used whole wheat shells

• 2 large tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped

• Dairy-free Pesto

• 2 cups basil

• 1 cup spinach

• 1/2 cup pine nuts

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Pinch of sea salt

Directions

• Prepare the pasta as instructed on package. Pour the peas into the pot with the pasta to boil for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain both and place back into the pot.
• In a blender or food processor, blend together all of the pesto ingredients. For a creamier texture, add more olive oil by the tablespoon.
• Once fully blended, mix the pesto in with the pasta and peas. Pour in the tomatoes and olives and stir together.
• Top with crushed black pepper and fresh basil leaves!
• Leftover pesto will last in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freezer for up to 1 month.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @somethingnutritious on Instagram- I’d love to see your creations!