Creamy, delicious, healthy, satisfying vegan pesto pasta is the perfect marriage of comfort food and culinary art that comes together quickly and simply. This dairy-free pesto pasta dinner is flavorful and fast, making it the ideal family dinner or an easy one to use when you are meal prepping for the week.
If you've been wanting to infuse some fresh flavor into your dinners or portable lunches with easy, yet flavorful meals, this vegan pesto pasta is the entree you've been waiting for. Vegan and non-vegan palates alike will thank you for serving up this delicious pasta meal!
If you loved the refreshing flavors of spring in the Easy Green Pesto Pasta, you're going to be smitten with this Vegan Pesto Pasta plate.
What Is The Best Pasta For Pesto?
There are two things to consider here: what is the best pasta for pesto and how to cook pasta the right way. Both considerations need to be addressed for this recipe to shine.
The best pasta for for this basil pesto pasta dish is going to be a wide noodle like fettuccine, or one with lots of twists and turns or ridges like fusilli or farfalle to hold the delicious sauce on it. And cooking it the right way is also important; you don't want a starchy mess when you go to serve your pasta!
Can Vegans Eat Pesto?
A lot of people wonder how vegans can eat pesto when one of the main ingredients is cheese. And it's a good question.
The secret is to make your own homemade recipe, and I've got the perfect one for you! This is the very best vegan pesto recipe, and it uses macadamia nuts and nutritional yeast for its creamy, dairy- and gluten-free deliciousness.
This homemade vegetarian sauce will make the perfect green pesto pasta; you're going to be so amazed at the authentic flavor even though there are no pine nuts or parmesan.
Here is a short video showing you how to make vegan pesto step-by-step:
Making The Best Vegetarian Pesto Pasta
So how do you go about making the best vegetarian pesto pasta you've ever had? Simply, that's how!
Boil your pasta of choice to al-dente and make sure to set aside some of the starchy water before you strain it.
While it's boiling (and you're remembering to stir regularly), go ahead and warm up your drained cannellini beans and sun-dried tomatoes in the microwave. They don't need to be hot, but you don't want them cold, either.
Once the pasta is ready, toss it with the homemade vegan pesto, beans, and tomatoes mix. If it's too thick, go ahead and thin the sauce with the starchy pasta water you reserved until you get it just how you like it.
Sprinkle it with vegan Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and you're all set!
If you enjoy this dinner (and what's not to love?), you'll also want to try some more creamy, vegan pasta dishes. Be sure to check out the Silky Vegan Mac & Cheese and the Creamiest Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo. These vegan pasta dinners are also artistic comfort food that comes together quickly.
Cook's Tips
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat this pesto pasta, microwave it or warm on the stove.
- Keep up to ½ cup of starchy pasta water to thin the sauce. Add the water gradually, starting with 1 tablespoon, after you have combined pasta and vegan pesto.
- Make sure to check this collection of 50 healthy vegan recipes with pesto including pasta, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, bread, casseroles, bowls, etc, if you are looking for ways to use up your pesto.
Recipe Variations
- Use regular pesto for a non-vegetarian version. Just FYI, Parmesan cheese, which is normally added in traditional pesto, is NOT vegetarian.
- Try wild garlic pesto or kale pesto to spice things up.
- You can also use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. In this case, cook them together with pasta and chop after straining.
- Chickpeas, navy beans or any white beans can be substituted for cannellini beans.
- You can use gluten-free pasta or whole grain pasta for this recipe.
Let me know how you like the recipe in the comments below!
Vegan Pesto Pasta with Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 9 oz or 250 g pasta fusilli, farfalle, fettuccine, etc
- ½ cup or ½ batch vegan pesto
- One 15 oz or 400 g can cannellini beans drained
- ½ cup or 30 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Vegan parmesan to serve, (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al-dente according to the instructions on the package, drain and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
- While pasta is cooking, microwave the drained cannellini beans and chopped sun-dried tomatoes until warm.
- When pasta is ready, add vegan pesto, beans and sun-dried tomatoes. Add a few tablespoons of pasta water to thin it up if necessary. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan (optional). Garnish with basil leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
Cook's Tips
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat this pesto pasta, microwave it or warm on the stove.
- Keep up to ½ cup of starchy pasta water to thin the sauce. Add the water gradually, starting with 1 tablespoon, after you have combined pasta and vegan pesto.
Recipe Variations
- Use regular pesto for a non-vegetarian version. Just FYI, Parmesan cheese, which is normally added in traditional pesto, is NOT vegetarian.
- Try wild garlic pesto or kale pesto to spice things up.
- You can also use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. In this case, cook them together with pasta and chop after straining.
- Chickpeas, navy beans or any white beans can be substituted for cannellini beans.
- You can use gluten-free pasta or whole grain pasta for this recipe.
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