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    Home > Vegan Pasta Sauces

    Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta

    By Nandor Barta on 01/11/2023 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print

    Try this recipe for vegan pesto pasta, made with homemade basil pesto. It can be ready in just 15 minutes, even if you prepare all the ingredients from scratch. Serve it with cherry tomatoes and garnish it with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for extra flavor.

    White bowl with tortiglioni pasta covered in green pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with yellow flakes.

    We have many delicious vegan pasta sauce recipes you can browse through or try our creamy harissa tahini pasta sauce, vegan mac and cheese sauce, or hidden veggie pasta sauce. Even more inspiration awaits in our list of 30+ easy vegan pasta recipes.

    Jump to:
    • What to expect from this recipe?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Cooking tip
    • Variations
    • Toppings
    • Equipment
    • Storing tips
    • FAQ
    • More vegan pasta recipes
    • Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta in 15 mins!

    What to expect from this recipe?

    The original Italian pesto (also called “pesto alla Genovese“) is made of pine nuts, basil leaves, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, and a bit of salt. Traditionally, all ingredients are crushed in a mortar and mixed with olive oil. This is the base of all pesto variations. Is pesto vegan? Sadly not.

    When you taste our vegan pesto pasta, you can expect a combination of fresh, savory, and slightly nutty flavors. The pesto, made from basil, garlic, olive oil, and nutritional yeast, provides a rich and fragrant sauce that coats the pasta.

    Nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy taste, and sunflower seeds provide the nutty flavor instead of pine nuts since we know they can be quite expensive and hard to come by. Overall, this pesto pasta should be a light yet flavorful and satisfying meal.

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    Ingredients

    Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this vegan pesto pasta:

    • Pasta – You can choose any vegan pasta, like spaghetti or penne. If you want something unique, try our vegan sweet potato gnocchi. Have you thought about trying zucchini noodles?
    • Pasta water – Reserve some before you drain your cooked pasta.
    • Fresh basil leaves → You need fresh herbs. You cannot make pesto with dried herbs.
    • Fresh garlic clove → Using fresh ingredients in pesto will give you a stronger flavor and better texture than dried alternatives, like garlic powder or granules.
    • Nutritional yeast → instead of Parmesan cheese
    • Sunflower seeds → instead of pine nuts
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • Salt

    🛒 You can find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Making homemade pesto

    1. Wash the basil leaves. Dry it with a paper towel or kitchen cloth.
    2. Peel garlic clove.
    3. Measure all other ingredients.
    4. Add all ingredients (basil, extra virgin olive oil, sunflower seeds, garlic, and nutritional yeast) to your food processor (to make a smaller serving size, use an immersion blender) and blend. Stop and scrape the sides of the container from time to time. The final consistency should resemble a thick, stiff paste with some chunks rather than being as smooth as oil-free hummus.
    Food processor from above with a chunky green paste.

    Making vegan pesto pasta

    1. Boil water. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package instructions.
    2. While cooking pasta, prepare the pesto.
    3. Once the pasta is cooked, save a bit of cooking water, then drain it.
    4. Heat a skillet or frying pan over low/medium heat.
    5. Add 1 serving of cooked pasta and 2 tablespoons of pesto, and a small amount of reserved pasta water.
    6. Use tongs or a spatula to toss and mix the pasta and pesto over low-medium heat. The pasta water will help the pesto to coat the pasta evenly, making it look glossy and delicious.
    White frying pan with tortiglioni pasta covered in green paste

    Cooking tip

    • Frying vs tossing. Frying pasta with pesto is not mandatory. It is usually served by just tossing hot, cooked, and drained pasta with the pesto. However, frying has benefits, such as providing an even coating on the pasta and making the pesto a bit creamier, milder, and less harsh.

    Variations

    • Use our homemade vegan spinach pesto instead of the simple basil pesto.
    • How about some red pesto tofu pasta? Use our vegan sun-dried tomato pesto. You will love it, I am sure.
    • If you want more unique combinations, try this parsley walnut pesto, this almond pepitas pesto, or this exciting mix of spinach garlic scape pesto.

    Toppings

    You can never go wrong with some vegetables for any vegan pesto pasta recipe. Our favorite ones are the following:

    • Lightly roasted cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes (It is always nice to add a bit of color.)
    • Sauteed mushrooms 
    • Pan-fried oyster mushrooms
    • Roasted asparagus and mushrooms
    • Sauteed broccoli or even better broccolini
    • Green peas
    • Sweet corn
    • Olives (kalamata or green)
    • Legumes (beans, lentils) like white beans, red kidney beans, chickpeas (roasted or cooked)
    • Nuts and seeds (almond slices, pepitas, pistachios, walnuts, or any leftovers from making the pesto)
    • More vegan parmesan, or nutritional yeast
    • Vegan feta cheese crumbles or vegan mozzarella
    • Vegan bacon bits

    Let us know in the comments what is your favorite topping!

    White frying pan with tortiglioni pasta covered in green paste, wilted half cherry tomatoes are on top scattered.

    Equipment

    • Food processor vs immersion blender. It depends on how many batches you plan to make. We have had good results using our Bosch immersion blender to make pesto for 2 servings (4 Tablespoons), even with tough ingredients like seeds.
    • Cast-iron skillet or frying pan. Both can be a good choice. We use pasta water and low heat to ensure they don’t stick to either type.

    Storing tips

    • Fridge: We don’t recommend storing pesto sauce and pasta together. As time passes, the pasta can get soggy and dry since it will absorb more from the sauce. You can keep any homemade pesto in the fridge for 3-4 days without a problem and cook pasta when ready to eat the whole dish.
    • Freezer: Pesto and cooked plain pasta can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. For best results, they should be frozen separately. We recommend freezing pesto in ice cubes, so you have the option to thaw only 1-2 servings at the same time.
    • Reheating: Thaw the pesto and pasta in the refrigerator. Boil water in a kettle. Reheat the pasta in a pot of water for 1-2 minutes. Then follow the instructions to mix pesto and pasta in a frying pan or skillet.

    FAQ

    What if you added too much pasta water?

    At first, it may seem that the pesto is too thin because of the cooking water, but as the dissolved starch in the cooking water is activated, it coats the pasta nicely and evenly. If you still think you added too much, add a bit more pesto and cook it longer on low heat to vaporize the excess water.

    What if I forgot to add the pasta water?

    If you don’t add the cooking water, you will start to cook the pesto, essentially. It can result in the fresh green leaves of basil turning brownish. Just add some fresh water, like one Tablespoon, to avoid that.

    White bowl with tortiglioni pasta covered in green pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with yellow flakes.

    More vegan pasta recipes

    We have a collection of more than 30 easy and delicious vegan pasta recipes, and lots of vegan pasta sauce recipes.

    • Large white frying pan with red pesto spaghetti topped with green-yellow tofu cubes, shredded cheese and basil leaves.
      Red Pesto Tofu Pasta (Vegan)
    • Black cast iron skillet with spaghetti in creamy light brown sauce with asparagus, spinach and red pepper slices. Red harissa sauce in a glass jar and a spoon with tahini paste next to it.
      Creamy Harissa Tahini Pasta Sauce
    • Large white bowl with brown soba noodles, orange crispy tofu bites, roasted asparagus and black and white sesame seeds. More asparagus and tofu bites are on the side. Chopsticks are placed on the side.
      Spicy Tahini Miso Soba Noodles
    • White bowl with fettuccine pasta covered in green sauces sprinkled with yellow flakes and a pair of basil leaves. A fork is next to the bowl.
      Creamy Spinach Pasta Sauce
    • Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese (Cauliflower Walnut Meat)
    • Black frying pan with spaghetti in white sauce with wilted spinach leaves and charred cherry tomatoes. A hand is holding a fork and coil up with pasta.
      15-min Cashew Alfredo Sauce (Oil-free, Vegan)

    THANK YOU so much for visiting our website. Please comment below if you have tried this recipe. We LOVE hearing from you! If you loved the recipe, please don’t forget to give us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ RATING. We appreciate all of our readers.  

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    White bowl with tortiglioni pasta covered in green pesto topped with cherry tomato halves and sprinkled with yellow flakes. A small white dish is int the corner with the remaining pesto

    Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta in 15 mins!

    Nandor Barta
    Try this recipe for vegan pesto pasta, made with homemade basil pesto. It can be ready in just 15 minutes, even if you prepare all the ingredients from scratch. Serve it with cherry tomatoes and garnish it with vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for extra flavor.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Condiment, Sauce
    Servings 2 servings
    Calories 683kcal

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Immersion hand blender with 20 fl oz container

    Ingredients
     
     

    Homemade vegan pesto (it yields 4 Tbsp – exactly how much you need for 2 servings)

    • 2 cup Fresh basil leaves
    • 1,5 cloves Garlic
    • ⅛ cup Nutritional yeast
    • ¼ cup Sunflower seed (raw, unsalted) or toasted/roasted
    • ¼ cup Olive oil
    • ¼ tsp Salt

    Pesto pasta

    • 4 oz Pasta
    • 4 Tbsp Pesto
    • ⅓ cup Reserved cooking water
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    EXCLUSIVE 5-ingredient recipes for busy home cooks that are ready in 15 minutes!Check out our Express Vegan Cookbook!

    Instructions
     

    Making homemade pesto

    • Wash basil leaves. Peel garlic. Measure the other ingredients.
    • Take a food processor and add all ingredients. Stop and scrape the sides from time to time. Blend until you get a thick, stiff paste-like consistency with a little chunkiness.
    • If you want to make it for 2 servings (approx. 4 Tbsp pesto), we recommend using the immersion blender with a narrow but tall container.

    Making pesto pasta

    • Take a skillet or frying pan and heat it on low/medium heat.
    • Add the cooked and drained pasta.
    • Add the pesto on top with a bit of pasta cooking water. Mix while you warm them up on medium heat.
    • At first, it may seem that the pesto is too thin because of the cooking water, but as the dissolved starch in the cooking water is activated, it coats the pasta nicely and evenly. If you don't add the cooking water, you will start to cook the pesto, essentially.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta in 15 mins!
    Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
    Calories 683 Calories from Fat 432
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 48g74%
    Saturated Fat 7g44%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 7g
    Monounsaturated Fat 23g
    Cholesterol 2mg1%
    Sodium 580mg25%
    Potassium 370mg11%
    Carbohydrates 51g17%
    Fiber 5g21%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 15g30%
    Vitamin A 1880IU38%
    Vitamin C 5mg6%
    Calcium 122mg12%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in May 2021. It has been updated with more info, tips, serving suggestions, and related recipes and republished in Jan 2023.

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