Dinner, Easy Recipes, Lunch, Pasta + Noodles, Vegetarian + Vegan

Vegan Pesto Pasta

 Vegan Pesto Pasta is delicious, healthy and so quick and easy to make! The homemade pesto recipe is packed with nutrients and lots of flavor!

Vegan Pesto Pasta with fresh basil

This easy pesto pasta is such a simple dish but it is still very filling and satisfying. It is made using my recipe for homemade Basil Spinach Pesto and it is a great way to get a healthy dose of greens and plant-based protein. You can also use store-bought pesto to make this recipe, but I highly recommend homemade. The pesto sauce that you use makes all the difference and homemade is so much better in every way!

For an additional source of protein, try adding some Crispy Baked Tofu. Not a Vegan? You don’t have to be a Vegan or Vegetarian to enjoy this meal. Try having it on meatless Mondays or serve it as a side dish. You can also easily modify this recipe to suit your taste. Maybe toss in some cherry tomatoes for additional nutrients, flavor, and color. Or just toss in some chicken, shrimp, or another protein of your choice. I even used my vegan pesto to make my Basil Pesto Chicken and Veggies

Vegan Pesto Pasta

Vegan Pesto Pasta Ingredients

Vegan Pesto Pasta does not require many ingredients. I personally used all organic, vegan ingredients to make this pasta, including organic rotini pasta and nutritional yeast. You can easily change or add additional ingredients based on what you have available. Whether you use organic ingredients or not is completely up to you. 

  • Vegan Basil Spinach Pesto – You can use store-bought pesto as well, but I highly recommend homemade.
  • extra virgin olive oil – Avocado oil makes a great substitute.
  • vegetable broth – You can also substitute chicken broth for non-vegan.
  • rotini pasta or pasta of your choice

Optional:

  • salt and pepper to taste – I did not need to add any since my homemade pesto has all the seasoning I want.
  • nutritional yeast for topping – You can also substitute grated parmesan cheese for non-vegan pesto pasta.

How to make Vegan Pesto Pasta

First, make the basil spinach pesto, it only takes about 5 minutes in a food processor. If you are using store-bought pesto sauce, you can skip this. 

Vegan Basil Spinach Pesto

Next, boil your pasta according to the package instructions and make sure to salt your pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and vegetable broth to a large saute pan or skillet. Over low – medium heat, bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Add the prepared pesto to the pan and stir to combine. Drain your cooked pasta, do not rinse, then add it to the pan with the sauce and stir to combine until the pasta is coated. Remove from heat and serve immediately. If you would like, top it with nutritional yeast or freshly grated parmesan cheese if you are not vegan.

I hope that you enjoy the pesto pasta!
Vegan Pesto Pasta with fresh basil

Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Vegan Pesto Pasta

Vegan Pesto Pasta is delicious, healthy and so quick and easy to make! The homemade pesto recipe is packed with nutrients and lots of flavor!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Main Dishes, Side Dish
Cuisine: Healthy, Italian, Vegan
Keyword: pasta, vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Christi

Ingredients

  • 1 batch
  • 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth You can substitute chicken broth for non-vegan.
  • 12 ounces rotini pasta or pasta of your choice

Optional:

  • Salt and pepper to taste I did not add any.
  • nutritional yeast for topping You can substitute parmesan cheese for non-vegan.

Instructions

  • Make the basil spinach pesto, it only takes about 5 minutes.
  • Boil your pasta according to the package instructions and make sure to salt your pasta water.
  • While the pasta is cooking, add the olive oil and vegetable broth to a large saute pan or skillet. Over low - medium heat, bring it to a simmer then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Add the prepared pesto to the pan and stir to combine. Drain your cooked pasta, do not rinse, then add it to the pan with the sauce and stir to combine until the pasta is coated.
  • Remove from heat and serve immediately. If you would like, top it with nutritional yeast or freshly grated parmesan cheese if you are not vegan.

Notes

  • Pesto Recipe
  • You can easily double the pesto recipe if you like it saucy or want extra pesto for bread.
  • You can also use store-bought pesto to make this recipe, but I highly recommend homemade.

(This recipe was originally published on January 9th, 2019 and has been updated with a new recipe card.)

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4 thoughts on “Vegan Pesto Pasta”

    1. Hi Laurie,

      The carb count depends on the pasta that you use. I have used my homemade pesto with veggie noodles and the carb count is very low. The fiber in the veggies and nuts in the pesto sauce bring the net carb count down a great deal. Try my homemade pesto sauce recipe with your favorite low carb pasta alternative. I hope you enjoy!

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