Once in a while I make something that’s extraspecial. Somethingseemingly simple, but with flavors that sing. Now, as we discussed in my look back at 2015, I love all of the recipes I post. But some of them really set my heart aflutter. The last recipes I remember feeling that way about were my jackfruit carnitas 2.0, and before that, my coconut curry pasta (<- underappreciated recipe alert!). And today, this vegan spinach pesto pasta is joining the ranks.
When I first created this spinach pesto pasta recipe I thought I was going to need a pound of pasta to be sauced by the nearly half pound of spinach I was blending. But alas… I always underestimate spinach’s ability to reduce down to an infinitesimal volume. This is actually a good thing because this approximately 4-serving recipe is packed with a whopping 6 cups of spinach and perfect for anyone who wants to increase the volume of greens in his/herdiet.
There’s no denying the deliciousness of classic pesto. But I take my pesto in a different direction these days, for a couple of reasons… the obvious one being cheese. And the second one being the high quantity of oil in most pesto recipes. That doesn’t sit well with my stomach, so I came up with my own vegan spins on pesto with more balanced amounts of fat and added nutrition from vegetables.
Nonetheless, to coat the pasta to my liking I still make sure to keep some richness in there and in this vegan spinach pesto recipe that richness comes from raw cashews, which make for a very buttery texture, and a splash of nondairy milk (which also helps for blending all of that spinach down).Season with plenty of salt and pepper, brighten with lemon juice, and fold in some nicely browned onions and garlic, and you’ll never miss the cheese or the large quantity of olive oil!
You might already have everything except the spinach and cashews on hand to make this vegan pesto pasta. Okay, if you’re a hardcore vegan you might have the cashews too. Enjoy!
P.S. If you follow me over on Instagram, you may be wondering when this recipewill be live. I put it next up on the list, so hopefully I’ll have it ready in a couple of days 🙂
Easy vegan spinach pesto pasta, made with a fresh pesto full of spinach with hints of basil and lemon. Healthy recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes.
Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil, and cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain it, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Do not rinse.
Make the vegan spinach pesto:
Add the cashews to your food processor and pulse a few times until crumbled.
Add the spinach, basil, nondairy milk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and continue to pulse, stopping to stir and scrape the sides if needed, until the spinach and basil are finely chopped.
Add more lemon juice to taste if desired, and set aside.
Put the finishing touches on the vegan spinach pesto pasta:
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion or shallot and a sprinkle of salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and browning slightly. (Note: to save time, you can begin this step while the pasta is still cooking).
Add the garlic and cook for just about 60 seconds more, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add the cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, and pesto and fold everything together gently. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly and clings to the pasta, and is warm throughout. Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm. The pasta is best eaten immediately; fold in a light drizzle of olive oil before storing leftovers and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The base is fresh basil, pine nuts, and garlic with a splash of lemon juice for acidity and brightness. For that cheesy color and flavor, I rely on nutritional yeast, which is a man-made yeast that can be high in B12 (depending on the brand).
To make the pasta sauce, put freshly washed spinach leaves in a mixer grinder and grind once to make a paste. Next, add all the other ingredients like walnuts, cheese, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, Italian herbs, salt, red chilli flakes, black pepper powder and blend to make a smooth pesto paste.
How long does vegan pesto last? Fresh pesto will store well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Keep a layer of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the top of the pesto so it doesn't brown.
Most pesto is not considered vegan for the sole reason that basic recipes call for some kind of hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, which is not suitable for vegans. Some authentic Parmesan is even made using rennet, an enzyme found in the lining of a goat or calf's stomach.
We're often asked whether pesto is vegetarian, and people are surprised when we say it's not. The reason is because classic basil pesto contains pecorino and Parmigiano-Reggiano, which are both made from milk curdled in animal rennet.
“Extra-virgin olive oil contains bitter tasting polyphenols coated by fatty acids, which prevent them from dispersing. If the oil is emulsified in a food processor, these polyphenols get squeezed out and the liquid mix turns bitter.
Pesto is flavorful and bright and can liven up vegetables, pizza, potatoes and pasta. It's also high in healthy fats, which help keep you satisfied. Fat may be higher in calories, but it also takes longer to digest (read: satisfying) and allows your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K.
Cashews. Cashews resemble pine nuts in color, texture and mild sweetness, and can be used as a substitute in just about any recipe. Stick to unsalted versions (roasted or raw varieties both work), and toast them to provide extra depth of flavor.
As a vegan ingredient darling and the prototypical cheese flavor alternative, nutritional yeast is a classic Parmesan substitute when making a dairy-free pesto. In many recipes, you'll find it used as a one-for-one swap for the grated cheese, with everything else in the formula staying the same.
You can tell that pesto has gone bad if it changes color from green to brown or black. Once you notice it's changed its color from green to brown then it's time to say goodbye to your condiment.
While you can keep unopened store-bought pesto in your pantry until the best-by date listed on the jar (which will usually be a few months from the purchase date), it's advised you refrigerate the pesto after opening. From that point, you'll have a week or two to use the pesto before things start to get a little iffy.
Add nuts, garlic, zest of 1 lemon and salt to a food processor and pulse into a fairly smooth paste. Add cheese to nut paste and add about 3 tablespoons EVOO; process until smooth. Pulse process basil into sauce until fairly smooth, adding juice of 1 lemon and remaining EVOO.
Combine the sage, parsley, garlic, coriander seeds, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pine nuts in a food processor or blender and process until coarsely chopped.
With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and process until emulsified.
Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and process 3 to 4 seconds longer.
Unfortunately, most supermarket pesto brands aren't vegetarian. Parmesan, a key ingredient in pesto, contains rennet which is an enzyme found in the stomach of a goat or calf. It's not just Parmesan. Pecorino Romano, Manchego, Gruyère and Gorgonzola all contain rennet.
Pesto is typically made with basil, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan cheese and garlic. It's a super-flavorful sauce that can be made with different herbs and nuts and without cheese to accommodate vegan or dairy-free diets. You'll want to be mindful of the sodium content.
Traditional pesto is made with basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and Parmesan (or another type of hard Italian cheese, such as Pecorino). You can prepare it with a mortar and pestle (this is the traditional method) or using a blender/food processor.
The main ingredients in pesto is basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and cheese. Our version is very similar to the traditional method of making pesto, we simply left out the cheese and swapped some of the nuts out for a cheaper version to make this sauce not only delicious, but diary free and less expensive.
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Introduction: My name is Rubie Ullrich, I am a enthusiastic, perfect, tender, vivacious, talented, famous, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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