Pesto Pasta

Delicious pesto & pasta mixed with yummy spring veggies creates a delightful meal enjoyed any time of year!

I am so excited to share this vegan pesto pasta recipe with you this week! It is so easy to make yet the flavor profile is so complex, it really is a unique dish that I know you will love!

Where are all my Seinfeld fans? I know you will appreciate this. Every time I make this, I think of the episode where George says “Everybody likes pesto. You walk into a restaurant, that’s all you hear – pesto, pesto, pesto.” Of course George didn’t really like pesto. However, I am positive he would like this one! It is a little milder than most pesto recipes as it is heavy on the spinach and the basil flavor comes through but does not overwhelm. I also use almonds instead of the more traditional pine nuts which to me, gives it a little more crunch and a flavor I find even more appealing.

One great thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever pasta you enjoy most! We are using a delightful new pasta we found out our local Publix – Explore Cuisine’s Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine. It has 22 grams of protein to with the nice flavor and texture it adds to the dish. It is available on Amazon as well.

The pièce de résistance is adding the sun-dried tomatoes at the end – what a burst of flavor they provide. Of course, we use vegan parmesan cheese to top it off and give it a familiar touch.

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Pesto Pasta

Delicious pesto & pasta mixed with yummy spring veggies creates a delightful meal enjoyed any time of year!

Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Rate this recipe!

Course

Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Servings

servings US ImperialMetric

Ingredients

• 20 spears asparagus (small to medium size)
• 4 oz spinach
• 1 oz basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup almonds (lightly salted)
• 12 oz pasta
• 2 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 2 oz sun dried tomatoes
• 2 TBSP vegan Parmesan cheese
• 6 TBSP olive oil (extra virgin)
• 2 TBSP vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup water
• salt & pepper

Course Dinner, Main Dish Cuisine Italian Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Servings servings US ImperialMetric Ingredients 20 spears asparagus (small to medium size) 4 oz spinach 1 oz basil 2 cloves garlic 1/2 cup almonds (lightly salted) 12 oz pasta 2 TBSP nutritional yeast 2 oz sun dried tomatoes 2 TBSP vegan Parmesan cheese 6 TBSP olive oil (extra virgin) 2 TBSP vegetable broth 1/4 cup water salt & pepper

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Pesto

1. Rinse and dry basil leaves and separate the leaves from the stems. Discard the stems.
2. In a food processor, add the basil, spinach garlic, almonds & water. Pulse 5 or 6 times to mix everything together. Move the processor to its highest setting and slowly add the olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Pesto Pasta Dish

1. Rinse off the asparagus. Break off the bottom inch (tough ends) and cut remaining stalks into quarter inch pieces.
2. In a large non-stick pan with your stove set to medium-high heat, warm a few TBSP of vegetable stock. Once hot, add the asparagus and cook until tender - 1 to 2 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast and pesto and stir to combine. Add the pasta and mix well. You can add a little more vegetable stock if the resulting dish is too dry.
3. Slice sun dried tomatoes and add to dish. Reduce heat and simmer. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
4. Plate your dish and top with vegan Parmesan Cheese to taste

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