Creamy Pesto Pasta with Vegetables (Vegan)

This creamy pesto pasta is a must-have recipe for any vegan kitchen. It's quick, easy, and only needs a few ingredients. As an added bonus, it makes great use of any extra leafy greens or herbs laying around...like cilantro, parsley or basil.

Use this vegan pesto on whatever pasta you have on hand, or slather onto a sandwich, a pizza, some hummus, or even avocado toast. Or mix with some non-noodle pasta and refrigerate for a killer summer pasta salad.

Pesto not your thing? Don't worry, I've got your pasta cravings covered with a 15-minute easy vegan pasta, butternut squash alfredo and this decadent 30-minute spicy vodka sauce.

Jump to:

• 📋 Ingredients
• 🔀 Substitutions & Variations
• Equipment
• 🔪 How To Make This Recipe
• Storage Suggestions
• 💭 FAQs
• Top Tips
• Creamy Pesto Pasta with Vegetables (Vegan)

📋 Ingredients

Most of the ingredients for this dairy free pesto pasta already live in your fridge & pantry. It's a great "leftover pesto" to make with spare greens and herbs.

• Greens - spinach and kale both work well here. If you choose to use kale, don't forget to remove any thick stems. I typically use leftover spinach or kale.
• Herbs - basil, cilantro, and parsley are all delish. Use what you have!
• Softened cashews - to soften, boil for 10-15 mins. The cashews add some of the nutty buttery quality that you'd normally get from parmesean. Walnuts also work, just don't boil them!
• Olive oil - use the good stuff, like extra virgin olive oil for best flavor
• Lemon juice - this adds a subtle sour punch and means you'll need to use less salt.
• Salt - to taste. Add once all the other ingredients are blended, and taste. When in doubt, start small.
• Garlic (optional) - self explanatory. If you don't like garlic, leave it out.
• Pine nuts (optional) - these are totally optional, but amp up the flavors and texture. They're buttery and even more nutty than cashews.

While the veggies are totally optional, this is another great opportunity to use what you have on hand. Here are some of my faves:

1. Baby tomatoes - during summer tomato season, roast some baby tomatoes in the oven at 400 F for 10-ish minutes with a pinch of salt and drizzle of olive oil. There are few things better than a sweet roasted tomato.
2. Sliced carrots - roast these with your tomatoes. They'll take a little longer, so don't mix in with the tomatoes, so you can remove each veggie more easily.
3. Peas - these are the simplest ingredient to add. I always have frozen peas in my freezer. Add to your pasta pot when you have ~2 minutes left, or warm in the microwave according to package instructions.
4. Sun dried tomatoes - chop these up into small pieces and mix in with your pesto pasta for a little bit of savory tomato flavor without too much work. I always have a few of this in my pantry for pasta like this.
5. Roasted bell peppers - similar to carrots, chop into small pieces and roast with other veggies. Make sure to keep all the peppers together for even cooking.

If you're not feeling the fresh vegetables, this pesto shines on the pasta alone.

🔀 Substitutions & Variations

While this fresh pesto pasta is vegan, dairy free and plant based, it can be gluten free with gluten free pasta.

Here are some other easy substitutions:

• Greens - use spinach or kale for best results.
• Herbs - basil, cilantro and parsley all work.
• Use toasted walnuts instead of boiled cashews. To toast walnuts, place into frying pan on medium heat for 1-2 minutes, tossing frequently to prevent burning.
• While extra virgin olive oil is preferred, you may use light olive oil, grapeseed oil, or whatever oil you have on hand
• I've definitely used lime juice instead of lemon juice in a pinch...

Equipment

You'll need a few pieces of equipment to make this plant-based pesto recipe, nothing crazy...

1. Blender, food processor, or immersion blender. A large commercial blender (such as Vitamix) is often too big for a single recipe. If that's what you're working with, make a double recipe. I recommend a smaller blender like a Nutribullet, or food processor. An immersion blender also works - it's just so easy.
2. Small saucepan to soften your cashews
3. Large pot for cooking pasta
4. Baking sheet for roasting veggies if desired. Style points for a silicon mat or parchment paper for easy cleanup.

🔪 How To Make This Recipe

First, prep vegetables. To roast, preheat oven to 400 F. Toss prepared veggies in a little cooking oil (like grapeseed for it's high smoke point) and salt. Roast for 10-20 minutes, carefully monitoring. Tomatoes are done when they're just a little wrinkled. Carrots and bell peppers may take a little longer.

Meanwhile, boil cashews for 15-20 minutes in a small saucepan, while water boils for pasta in a large pasta pot.

Once cashews are ready, add to blender with the rest of the pesto ingredients and blend until smooth, 30-60 seconds. Make sure to load heftier ingredients closer to the blade, like cashews.

If using a personal blender (like the Nutribullet here) you may need to add more oil, or stop a few times to mix the ingredients.

If you're using a larger blender like a Vitamix, I recommend making a double batch of pesto unless you have a smaller blending container.

They're too wet! This recipe uses mushrooms, which are basically little flavor sponges. As they cool, they release their juices. So we need to add something to absorb all the good stuff - enter breadcrumbs.

Storage Suggestions

Refrigerate pesto in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store creamy pesto pasta with vegetables in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To reheat pasta on the stove, place into frying pan on low heat with a little cooking oil or leftover pasta water. An extra dollop of pesto never hurts...

💭 FAQs

Top Tips

Blend pesto well...it's ok to stop and stir. And don't forget to taste!

Need more pasta in your life? I've got you covered.