Name: Vegan Pesto Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (75 g) pine nuts; 1/2 cup (75 g) sunflower seeds; 1 cup basil laves (packed); 1 cup kale (packed); 2 garlic cloves; 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast; 1/3 cup (75 ml) olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 8.8 oz (250 g) rigatoni; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium shallot, finely chopped; 1 cup (175 g) frozen peas; 1 cup kale (75 g) (packed); 1/2 cup (50 g) sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped; 1/4 cup (30 g) pine nuts, toasted; Salt and pepper to taste

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This vegan pesto pasta is creamy, rich and so flavorful you should expect everyone to ask for seconds. It's also ready in just 20 minutes for the most delicious speedy weeknight dinner.

Pesto is one of the most flavorful ingredients you can use in a pasta dish, and homemade is always best.

This vegan pesto pasta is a quick and easy meal that you can have on the table in just 20 minutes.

It features a delicious plant-based, dairy-free pesto made from scratch from a mix of seeds, herbs, greens and aromatics.

It's just a perfect recipe to try when you have a bounty of fresh basil or simply on those days when you want a treat but don't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen.

Why you'll love this vegan pesto pasta

Incredible flavors - The mix of fresh basil, kale and nutritional yeast infuse this vegan pesto pasta with so much flavor!
Easy to make - It's a quick and easy pasta with veggies and pesto that can be on the table in just 20 minutes.
Versatile - You can use this pasta recipe as a blank canvas and customize it by adding your favorite veggies and plant-based protein of your choice.

Ingredients and substitutions

Pine nuts + sunflower seeds - Pine nuts are the seed of choice for most pesto recipes, but they can be quite costly.

Making pesto with a mix of pine nuts and hulled sunflower seeds results in a delicious yet more budget-friendly mix.

Fresh basil - You can use the leaves and stems of fresh basil in this pesto.

Kale - A handful of kale adds extra bulkiness, vitamins and brightness to this pesto. You can substitute it with fresh baby spinach.

Garlic - Feel free to skip this if you don't want your pesto to have a garlicky flavor.

Nutritional yeast - This will give the pesto that "cheesy" flavor while keeping it dairy-free.

Olive oil - Use the best quality olive oil you can in this pesto because it makes quite a difference.

Shallot - The mellow flavor of shallots is perfect in this pasta dish, but you can substitute them with regular onions if you want.

Peas - Frozen peas are perfect here, and you don't have to thaw them beforehand.

Kale - Just like in the case of the pesto, you can use baby spinach instead of kale if you're not a fan.

Sundried tomatoes - Pat dry the sundried tomatoes to remove any excess oil before slicing them.

Pasta - I used rigatoni to make this pasta, but any other short pasta shape will do.

How to make this vegan basil pesto pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 2-3 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, make the pesto. Add the pine nuts, sunflower seeds, basil leaves, kale, garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil and salt to a food processor and blitz for 2-3 minutes until smooth.

Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed. Set the pesto aside while you prepare the pasta.

Next, make the pasta sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and sauté the shallot for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until softened.

Add the peas and sauté for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the kale and cook for a further minute until slightly wilted.

Add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water and stir in the pesto. Add more pasta water as needed until you get a creamy consistency.

Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan, toss well to cover in sauce, adding more pasta water as needed.

Stir in the sundried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately, topped with some extra toasted pine nuts if you like.

Leftovers and storage

This vegan pesto pasta is best served immediately. If you have leftovers, they will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
You can reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave or serve it at room temperature.
I don't recommend freezing this pasta dish.

Recipe notes and tips

Some other veggies that would work well in this pasta include mushrooms, green beans and asparagus tips.
Use zucchini noodles instead of pasta to keep it low carb.
Sprinkle some grated vegan parmesan" on individual bowls before serving.

If you liked this vegan pesto pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Yield: 4