A vegan pesto pasta salad with a delicious twist you've never seen before. Eat it warm or cold and throw in your favorite veggies, it's a perfect well rounded meal!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of NOW Foods. The opinions and text are all mine.
Vegan Pesto Pasta
I have a multitude of pesto recipes already, I love them for all the green they pack and how versatile they are. Check out the variety:
- Broccoli Pesto
- Asparagus Pesto
- Spinach Tahini Pesto
- Kale Arugula Radicchio Pesto
- Lemon Hemp Seed Pesto
- and even a Pesto Lasagna
You really can do so much with it! Which is why I'm probably a little nuts creating another pesto recipe, but this one was worth it!
The secret to amazing vegan pesto
The formula for pesto is basically the same, add some greens, a nut or seed, some garlic, spices and seasonings and blend. This time I wanted to add to this equation to try and get a unique flavor out.
I recently started playing around with these new coconut oil infusions by NOW Foods. Have you seen them? Amazing. Taste like butter. And garlic.
So basically anything that tastes like that is a win for me. As much as I am picky about my coconut flavors, the hint mixed into the pesto was amazing!
It's not too overwhelming, but enough so that my tastebuds feel happy. I love how versatile they are and that my kids actually love it. Here are all the ways we have used it so far:
- toss with noodles and peas
- saute veggies with it
- spread it on toast with jelly or nut butter
- heat it up with chocolate and drizzle over ice cream
- melt it and drizzle over popcorn
Is pesto pasta healthy?
I'm going to go ahead and throw this one back to you. Healthy means something different to everyone, but if your definition of healthy is loads of greens, plus added veggies then yes.
Pesto is a great way to get some extra green into your life. You can put it on anything or mix it into anywhere, hidden in veggie burgers is my next project. And because it's so easy to mix up the flavors, finding one that someone likes is usually a good chance.
Can you eat pesto pasta cold?
Absolutely! The best thing about this vegan pesto pasta salad, is that you can eat it cold or warm and it's just as amazing. The key here though is to melt the coconut oil, so you want to mix it in right after you cook it.
This pasta salad is the perfect thing to bring to a potluck or picnic because it's super low maintenance. It also lets you clean out your fridge veggies, so a total winner overall!
How long does vegan pesto last?
One of my favorite things about making vegan food is that it doesn't spoil as fast. This vegan pesto is basically made of greens and nuts. So it can last in the fridge for a good solid week. Not that you'll have it around that long!
It's perfect to make ahead of time, so that when you are ready to throw it together, all you need to do is cook the pasta, chop up some veggies, and BOOM. Done.
You can also freeze it for quick use. I always double my sauce batches and freeze half for those crazy nights (read weekly).
How to make vegan pesto pasta salad with veggies
This is not only uber delish, but a fabulous way to clean out that fridge! It goes great with almost any veggie. I used carrots, broccoli, red onion and red peppers. And then the next time, I spread it on pizza and topped with all the pizza toppings.
- Blend the pesto ingredients to make the pesto.
- Mix the pesto and chopped veggies in.
- Serve it up!
You can mix the coconut oil in while making the pesto or mix it into the pasta. Either works, but I like using the pasta method just to make sure it spreads well all around. No noodle left behind.
Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad with Veggies
Ingredients
Pesto:
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- ½ cup fresh basil
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
To serve:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil , I used the garlic infused by NOW Foods
- 12 ounces your favorite pasta , I use the NOW Foods brand
- 2 cups veggies of choice , use whatever you need to clean out (I did red pepper, broccoli, red onion and carrots)
- chickpeas or white beans , for added protein (can also do vegan sausage)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix in the coconut oil here if you don’t want to add it to the pesto.
- Place the spinach, broth, basil, garlic, almonds, lemon, crushed red pepper, salt, and ground black pepper into a food processor. Blend until chopped well but nut pureed. You can also mix the coconut oil in here instead of with the pasta later.
- Chop veggies of choice into bite sized pieces.
- Mix the oil with the pasta, then fold in the pesto followed by the vegetables. Serve warm or cold!
Notes
- To make this oil free, omit the coconut oil however the flavor profile will change a bit.
- You can add the coconut oil into the pesto as well.
- Pesto makes about 1 ¼ cups.
- Pesto freezes well and is perfect to keep stocked.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
If you want to give these delish infusions a try, you can receive $10 off your nowfoods.com purchase of $40 or more (before taxes and shipping). Must use coupon code SOPHIANOW10 in the Promotion Code field at checkout.
Offer only available on nowfoods.com. Offer valid January 1, 2019 through 11:59 PM CT March 31, 2019. Some exclusions apply. Limit one coupon code per transaction. Offer cannot be used on previous purchases. NOW Health Group, Inc. has the right to end any promotion at any time
Deanna
...this sounds wonderful! Is it possible to use another green (spinach is too ‘high oxilate’ for me.....)
veggiesdontbite
Hi Deanna, you can use whatever greens you prefer. Spinach is the most mild but any of them will work as long as you like the flavor!
Cassie Autumn Tran
I would enjoy this with bean pasta any day. Specifically, black bean spaghetti or chickpea rotini. It's the only kind of pasta I enjoy, not going to lie, LOL!
veggiesdontbite
It would go great on anything!!!
The Vegan 8
This is gorgeous girl! I love pesto so much and I love the buttery garlic flavor sound of this, that sounds SO good! I also love the extra veggies you added on top, make the dish so pretty and colorful!
veggiesdontbite
Thanks so much girl! It's one of my fave flavor combos yet!
JD
I love the unique twist this has! The flavor is so good!