Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe

🌱 Vegan Pesto Pasta Ingredients 

A F*ck Ton of Basil

Fresh basil leaves deliver the signature flavor of classic pesto. Every time someone uses kale instead of basil, there's a nona somewhere shaking in her boots. I guess you can substitute part of it with baby spinach or arugula (because basil is kinda pricey), but ideally go all-basil for the best flavor.

Pine Nuts

I do not mess with Chinese pine nuts because pine nut mouth is real (look it up, it sucks) and I refuse to have everything I eat taste like loose change for 3 days. If you've got some left over pine nuts after making this, turn it into the butter for my blue corn pancakes and feel wildly competent. Or swap in walnuts or cashews if you want a perfectly tasty, budget-friendly option.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is the cheesy cheat code that makes this homemade pesto recipe actually taste like it has a tiny bit of dairy in it. Flakes or powder, no preference, just use it.

If you've never messed with "nooch" before, it's pretty essential for my vegan nacho cheese and for boosting vegan pepperoni into more realistically meaty territory.

The Pasta

Calamarata, paccheri, and rigatoni are my personal faves because they're thick, tubular, and actually built to trap pesto in all those ridges and hollows. That said, spaghetti works, penne works, any kind of pasta shape you love works. If you are going to make this GF, I really love the gluten-free brown rice pasta from Tinkyada (and I am not even GF).

Asparagus

Asparagus is only worth the hype in spring. Outside of that window? It sucks. It makes you mad. And it should be packed up in a capsule and launched into the depths of space to rot in silence. 

When it's in season, it's snappy and fresh and perfect with pesto. Any other time of year, grab green peas, kale, arugula, or blanched broccoli rabe and use those instead.

Canned Butter Beans

Butter beans make this pasta substantial. I also sometimes rock them to make white bean puree that I serve under my roasted cauliflower steaks. 

This pasta can totally be made with other more common white beans. I usually keep cannellini beans in my pantry because they pull overtime in my vegan Alfredo sauce, pasta fagioli, and escarole and bean soup. Use chickpeas if you must. It's ok.

Vegan Parmesan

Vegan parm is a nice to have, but not a have to have for garnishing your pasta dish. I usually use my homemade vegan parmesan recipe because it's more economical, but Violife makes a great option.

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📖 How to make pesto pasta vegan

Okay chef, if you're already boiling water and ignoring everything I'm saying, the easy recipe card is below. But if you'd like this to come out exactly how you imagined it instead of "close enough," read the next minute.

Step One

Boil George

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Once it's boiling, salt the water.

Step Two

Leave the Gun, Take the Pignoli:

While the water comes up to a boil, very lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. You aren't even looking for color here. Just the pine nuts to warm and start feeling a little oily. 

Step Three

Pesto Change-o:

Add the basil, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, water, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Set aside.

Step Four

Puff Puff Pasta:

Once the water reaches a rolling boil, add the salt followed by the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta in a colander.

Step Five

Garls in Charge:

Place a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. After 90 seconds, add the sliced garlic and asparagus tips. Sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently so they soften without turning golden brown.

Step Six

Bean Me Up, Scotty:

Add the drained butter beans, cooked pasta, and pesto to the pan. Toss continuously until everything is evenly coated with the vegan pesto sauce. Add the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen the flavorful sauce so it coats the pasta without becoming overly wet.

Step Seven

Rigatoni Montana:

Transfer to serving bowls and finish with basil leaves, chopped parsley, and grated vegan parmesan if desired.