Vegan Pesto Pasta
A quick and simple plant-based vegan pesto pasta is loaded with veggies-zucchini, chickpeas, orange bell pepper, and tomatoes. The pesto is a delicious homemade basil pesto with only 6 ingredients! A kid-approved healthy pasta dinner.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Cuisine: Plant-based
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 ounces of whole-wheat spaghetti pasta
- 4 medium-sized zucchinis, julienne sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 lemon
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in half
Basil pesto
- 1/2 cup of unsalted, unroasted cashews
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 ounces of fresh basil leaves (about 3 cups)
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of vegan parmesan cheese, grated (I love Violife Parmesan)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the packaging. Add the zucchini noodles to the pasta pot for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Strain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a small saute pan and crank the heat up to high. Add the orange bell pepper and chickpeas. Add the juice from one lemon to the saute pan. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the lemon juice has cooked down.
- Make the basil pesto. Add the cashews and olive oil to a blender. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth, like peanut butter. Add the remaining pesto ingredients: basil leaves, garlic, and vegan parmesan cheese. Blend until well incorporated. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula a couple of times.
- Add the pasta, zucchini noodles, chickpeas, orange bell pepper, and tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour the pesto on top and give it a mix until everything is coated in delicious pesto. Ready for eating!
Notes
Pasta keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Basil pesto can be made in large batches, pesto will keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Find it online: https://www.bowlofyum.com/2020/09/vegan-pesto-pasta-2/