Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Sun dried tomato pesto pasta (or red pesto pasta) is the perfect weeknight meal! Ready in just 20 minutes, this meal is incredibly easy to make and extremely comforting! Make your own sun dried tomato pesto while the pasta is cooking! Naturally vegan, gluten free, dairy free and can be made Whole30 friendly!
Servings 4
Calories 354kcal
Cost $10.33 recipe/$2.58 serving
Equipment
Ingredients
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil (or one 8.5 oz container) $3.79
- 1 cup basil $2.49
- 1 lemon juiced $0.42
- 1 tsp sea salt $0.05
- 1 tsp garlic powder $0.10
- 1/4 cup cashews $0.47
- 1/3 cup water (as needed) $0.00
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- 1/2 sundried tomato pesto from above
- 8 oz pasta (gluten free) $1.99
- 2 cups baby spinach (or kale) $1.00
- 1/4 tsp salt (if needed) $0.02
- 1 cup water from cooking liquid $0.00
Instructions
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- Pour one jar (1 cup) sun dried tomatoes in olive oil into the food processor. Add the lemon juice, basil, salt and garlic powder.
- Process on high about 45 seconds until well incorporated.
- Add the cashews to the food processor with the sun dried tomato mixtures. Process on high about 1 minute until the cashews are fully incorporated and no longer easy to see.
- Add up to 1/4 cup of water to this mixture in the food processor and process on high until well combined and the pesto is thick but more easy to spread.
- You will need 12 of this mixture for the recipe, the other half can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.
- Once boiling, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Right before draining, take 1 cup of the cooking liquid from the pot and reserve it for the sauce.
- Drain the pasta in a colander and return it to the hot pot (turn off the heat).
- Add 1/2 the sun dried tomato pesto just made, and the spinach to the pasta.
- Pour over 3/4 cup of the hot liquid that was reserved from cooking, trying to wilt the spinach. Stir well to incorporate the water (about 1 minute).
- Add up to 1/4 cup more cooking liquid depending on how you like your sauce.
Notes
*Nutrition is calculated only using 1/2 the pesto recipe as written, and chickpea pasta*
You will need 1/2 of this mixture for the recipe, the other half can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
Pasta choice:
This recipe was written using chickpea pasta, which is higher in protein and fiber than traditional pasta. It's also gluten free. Other great choices include:
- Lentil pasta
- Brown rice (gluten free)
- Sweet potato noodles, butternut squash noodles, or rutabaga noodles (see how to make these in the post).
Nutrition
Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g
