Easy Vegan Pasta al Pesto

Cooked spaghetti with pesto, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil in a glass bowl with tongs.

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Easy vegan pasta al pesto with healthy, zesty, oil-free basil and spinach pesto with pine nuts and pasta with blanched tomatoes is a quick and satisfying 30-minute meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 296kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

Ingredients

8 ounces dry pasta 227 grams (see notes)
2 cups cherry tomatoes rinsed
¼ cup pine nuts toasted
3 cups fresh basil leaves and tender stems
3 cups spinach leaves
3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Start the water for the pasta in a large pot. When it starts to boil, add the pasta. As soon as the water reaches boiling (again), lower the temperature slightly to keep it from boiling over.
Heat a small or medium-heavy skillet or pan with a heavy bottom to medium-high. Add the ¼ cup of pine nuts and toast them. Stir them often until brown (about 1 ½ - 2 minutes). Immediately remove them from the heat and add them to a food processor or blender.
Add the basil, spinach, garlic, 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of salt (if using) to the food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired.
When the pasta is about 2 minutes from being done, add the cherry tomatoes. Cook until the pasta is tender but firm. The tomatoes will be soft, slightly wrinkly, and just starting to break down.
Before draining the pasta, dip a cup in and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and tomatoes, but do not rinse them. Add them to a serving dish, bowl, or cooking pot.
Mix in the pesto. Then mix in 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. If the pasta is a bit dry, add more cooking water.
Mix in the pesto. Then mix in 2 Tbsp. of the pasta water. If the pasta is a bit dry, add more cooking water.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Garnish with lemon wedges, torn or chopped basil, or vegan parmesan.

Notes

Spaghetti and linguini are traditional types of pasta to serve with pesto, but you can use any shape you like or use gluten-free or higher-protein chickpea or bean pasta.
Pay attention to the pine nuts when toasting. The minute they start to brown, remove them from the heat. They burn easily.
You should end up with about 1 ½ cups of pesto. The actual amount depends on the precise amounts of basil and spinach.
The standard guideline is 2 ounces (56 gm.) of dry pasta per person per serving. For spaghetti or linguini, that's approximately the diameter of a quarter. Alternatively, use the hole in your pasta spoon as a guide.
The starch from the unrinsed pasta helps the pesto adhere to it. For this reason, you should moisten the pasta with cooking water rather than tap water.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days or frozen for 3 months. Pesto can be made a day ahead or frozen for months.
The best way to reheat pesto with pasta is to wrap it in foil and steam it in a steamer basket. If you reheat on the stove, add a little water or lemon juice and keep the heat low so the pasta doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan. You can also reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition