Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
Delicious, creamy pesto pasta that's vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and made with a cashew-based pesto. A hearty, flavorful plant-based meal or side that's high in protein.
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 ½ cups Fresh Basil
- 1 cup Raw Cashews
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves
- 4 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- ½ Lemon juiced
- ¼ -½ cup Water
- 1 pinch of Salt
Pasta
- 8 oz Pasta (I used Banza Chickpea Pasta) uncooked
Instructions
- Fill a medium-sized pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil.
- In the meantime, prepare pesto. To a food processor or high-speed blender add basil, cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt. Mix to combine.
- Continue blending, scraping down sides as needed, until creamy and fully combined. If it has trouble blending add a bit more water.
- Next add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Be sure not to overcook, and drain when noodles are ‘al dente’. Return to pot, off heat and set aside.
- Add the pesto on top of the pasta and gently stir to combine.
- Serve warm with additional pesto on the side, and garnish generously with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, extra salt, and pepper.
- Best when fresh, though leftovers will keep in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Enjoy chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
This pasta dish is gluten-free, grain-free, and oil-free!