Here’s another recipe from my 2010 vegan recipe site, Anji’s Goodies. The photos and description are archival, as well.

Vegan Pesto with Tristan-colored Rotini Pasta with and without Seasonal Veggies

Recently I’ve made a couple of really killer batches of vegan pesto, which I served up over various types of pasta. If I’m in a hurry, I like the super thin capellini, but if I don’t mind waiting, I’ll go for a tri-color rotini, as pictured here. Since our Farmer’s Market has had an abundance of zucchini, yellow squash, and heirloom tomatoes, those have been my main veggie additions, but sometimes I’ll throw in organic mushrooms or red bell peppers, if I have those on hand, as I did in the second photo.

Vegan Pesto Pasta with Veggies

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Dash of nutmeg (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Toast the sliced almonds lightly either in the oven or on the stove.

2. Combine toasted almonds and garlic in a food processor and grind lightly

3. Add washed basil leaves and olive oil. Process until a paste forms

4. Add the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper. You can also add a dash of nutmeg for extra flavor, if you like. Process until smooth.

So that’s the pesto, which you can serve straight up on your cooked pasta of choice. Or you can use it as a pizza sauce or sandwich spread. As far as this pasta and veggies dish goes, I simply sautee my chosen veggies in a little olive oil while the pasta is cooking, starting with the squash and peppers, followed by mushrooms, and then the tomatoes last (since they don’t need to cook nearly as long). Then I just toss the cooked and strained pasta with the pesto and veggies and perhaps sprinkle a bit of vegan parmesan on top.