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30 Minutes or Less

The BEST Vegan Pesto

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This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!

overhead image of vegan pesto in a bowl with a spoon.

I don’t mean to brag, but I’m kind of famous for my pesto. Even cheese-lovers rave about my cheese-less pesto! It was just sort of a recipe that evolved over time based on my dietary restrictions. Growing up, my mom would take me to the local farmer’s market on Saturdays and this one bread stand would hand out samples of thick sliced bread with a big ole’ slathering of pesto on it. It was my FAVORITE part of the farmers market and truly where my deep love of pesto began.

When I moved away for college, I had no choice but to start making pesto myself. Also, around this same time is when I started experimenting with a dairy and gluten-free diet. So one day I randomly decided to just leave the parmesan cheese out of my pesto and see how I’d like it. And well, I LOVED it! Then I began playing around with different nuts in my pesto – the traditional recipes call for pine nuts but those can be pretty hard to come by. So I tried literally every nut I could think of and ultimately landed on cashews for creating the best and creamiest vegan pesto EVER. This recipe is perfectly tangy, incredibly fresh, and tastes just as good as (if not better than) the stuff I used to get at the farmer’s market growing up!

vegan pesto pasta in a bowl with a fork and white wine on the side.

What You Need To Make Vegan Pesto

Basil – If you’re growing basil this year, definitely use it in this vegan pesto! I love doubling or tripling this recipe at the end of summer and freezing leftovers to make sure none of that gorgeous, fresh basil goes to waste. And if you don’t have your own basil plant, simply pick up a package of this delicious herb the next time you’re at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To prepare the basil for this recipe, start by giving it a quick rinse under cold water. Once clean, remove the leaves from the stems and add them to your blender. When I say “2 heaping cups,” I mean 2 HEAPING cups – pack that basil in there, and throw in a little extra if you’d like!

Cashews – Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts, but this vegan pesto tastes even better with cashews. Cashews do an incredible job at contributing an almost cheesy flavor to this pesto, in the absence of parmesan cheese! Though feel free to use any nut or seed you’d like to in this recipe. Walnuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds would all make great substitutions. However, whichever option you choose, please make sure that it is raw and, most importantly, unsalted!

Lemon Juice – Lemon juice adds a touch of brightness to this pesto and emphasizes the delicious fresh flavor. Start small on the lemon juice and add more to taste. I loooove a super lemony pesto so I tend to go a bit crazy, but feel free to customize this recipe to your liking! If you don’t have lemon juice, you can use a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

vegan pesto pasta being lifted out of a bowl with a fork.

Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

  • Make it Nut-Free: Use raw and unsalted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds in place of the cashews to make this a nut-free pesto!
  • Make it Oil-Free: Substitute 2-3 tablespoons of water for the olive oil in this recipe.
  • Add Cheese: Throw 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in with the rest of the ingredients if you’d like.
overhead image of three bowls of vegan pesto pasta.
5 from 1 vote

Vegan Pesto

This vegan pesto is the easiest and tastiest recipe you’ll make all week! Simply toss all ingredients in a blender, then serve over your favorite pasta. This classic recipe is exploding with fresh, bright, and savory flavor!
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 heaping cups fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, see Notes
  • 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Notes

  • Cashews: You can substitute the cashews in this recipe for pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds if you’d like!

    • Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

    More Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

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    avocado pasta on a plate with a fork

    Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.

    close-up image of avocado pasta with roasted garlic and tomatoes on a plate

    What You’ll Need To Make Avocado Pasta

    Avocado – LOL, duh! Pick up two perfectly ripe avocados for this plant-based recipe. To know whether your avocados are ripe or not, give them a gentle squeeze. If the skin gives a tiny bit then they’re ready to eat! Though if your avocados feel hard as rocks, leave them out at room temperature for another day or two until ripe. I almost always buy a big bag of avocados while at the store, and use leftovers to make avocado toast in the morning – yum!

    Fresh Herbs – Feel free to use any fresh herbs you’d like, or have on-hand! I used a combo of fresh basil and fresh parsley, which made for a perfectly fresh-tasting sauce. However, a bunch of fresh cilantro would taste equally as delicious.

    Garlic – Plenty of garlic is necessary for this avocado pasta recipe! We pretty much use an entire garlic bulb between the roasted garlic and tomatoes, and the avocado sauce. When roasted, garlic releases intense flavor which is straight up heavenly. I could eat roasted garlic all by itself, it’s that good! Together with the tomatoes, olive oil, and a little bit of salt and pepper – the roasted garlic in this recipe is to-die-for.

    overhead image of avocado pasta on two plate

    Tips and Tricks

    • Use any pasta shape you’d like! I used bow-ties since they’re what I had, but shape truly makes no difference here. I can imagine this avocado pasta tastes just as delicious with spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, etc.
    • Remember to reserve half a cup of pasta water! This pasta water will be added back into the pasta, after you’ve strained it, and added the avocado sauce in. The starches from the reserved water help your sauce latch onto the pasta.
    • Typically served hot, this pasta can also be served cold as an avocado pasta salad. For a cold pasta dish, cook up everything the same. Then, cover and leave to chill for about an hour before serving.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Gluten-Free: This pasta is easily made gluten-free with the use of your favorite gluten-free pasta. Now my personal favorite gluten-free pasta is Jovial’s Brown Rice pasta, and is actually exactly what I used in the photos here!

    Make it Paleo/Grain-Free: For a paleo pasta, simply use zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash in place of the pasta in this dinner recipe.

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    Avocado Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomatoes

    Vibrantly green and irresistibly creamy avocado pasta, finished off with roasted garlic and tomatoes! Whip up this quick, easy, and healthy dinner recipe in under 20 minutes. Perfect when you’re short on time and/or craving something comforting and delicious.
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta, uncooked

    For the roasted garlic and tomatoes:

    • 1 pint grape tomatoes
    • 6-8 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • salt and black pepper, to taste

    For the avocado sauce:

    • 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed
    • 1/2 cup fresh basil, parsley, and/or cilantro
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit. Make the roasted garlic and tomatoes by placing tomatoes and sliced garlic on a baking sheet, then drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes or until soft and very fragrant.
    • While garlic and tomatoes roast, cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente and reserve ½ cup pasta water.
    • While pasta cooks, add all avocado sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
    • Once pasta is cooked, strain then add back into pot along with avocado sauce and reserved pasta water. Toss pasta in sauce before adding in roasted garlic and tomatoes, serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

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    mushroom pasta on a plate

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!

    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with fresh sage on the side

    What You’ll Need To Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta

    Pasta – All pasta shapes and sizes are welcome here. I used my all-time favorite Jovial Brown Rice Gluten-Free Tagliatelle, but really any pasta will work. Spaghetti, penne, bow-ties, etc – anything and everything will taste delicious! And for a grain-free option, you can swap the pasta for zucchini noodles.

    Butter – I used Myoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter in my mushroom pasta, but you can use any type of butter you’d like. Though if you’re like me and looking to keep this dinner recipe vegan or dairy-free, I highly recommend the Myoko’s butter. It’s made from simple, good-for-you ingredients, and tastes just like the real thing!

    Mushrooms – I’m starting to feel like a broken record here, but again, any and all mushrooms will taste great in this dish! I picked up a mushroom variety pack from my local grocery store to keep things exciting.

    Garlic – All my fellow garlic fiends, go ahead and add a few extra cloves! I love how well the garlic shines through in this super simple meal. It adds this savory, salty bite that’s seriously so good.

    Shallot – Either a shallot or half of a small yellow onion will work. Whichever option you take, be sure to finely chop it before cooking. If left too large, it could get in the way of the carefully curated textures in this dish.

    mushroom pasta being lifted off a plate with a fork

    Tips and Tricks

    • Don’t forget to reserve pasta water! Pasta water has the perfect amount of starch in it, which will help to thicken the sauce. If forgotten, you can use either regular water or vegetable broth in its place, but risk a thin sauce that won’t lock in as much flavor.
    • Get started on the mushrooms as soon as the pasta starts cooking. The pasta will take anywhere from 7 to 12 minutes to cook, which is exactly the amount of time you’ll need to make the sauce. Therefore, time everything perfectly by having both components going at the same time!
    • This mushroom pasta is best served immediately after cooking! However, if you ever need to reheat pasta, add a little bit of broth or water to freshen it up. I recommend reheating this mushroom pasta over the stove with 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable broth, stirring frequently until warm throughout!
    overhead image of mushroom pasta on a plate with white wine on the side

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Dietary Needs

    Make it Vegan: Take my vegan option and use vegan butter instead of regular butter.

    Make it Gluten-Free: For gluten-free mushroom pasta, simply use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    Paleo/Grain-Free Option: Make this a paleo pasta recipe by substituting the regular pasta with zucchini noodles, and the butter for olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee!

    No ratings yet

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Vegan and Gluten-Free!)

    The easiest mushroom pasta – requiring only 7 ingredients and ready in under 20 minutes! Perfectly creamy and comforting, yet entirely vegan and gluten-free. Defying all odds with this easy, next-level-DELICIOUS mushroom pasta recipe!
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pasta, uncooked
    • 4 tablespoons butter, separated (I used vegan butter)
    • 7 ounces mushrooms, sliced
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
    • While pasta cooks, melt two tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
    • Sprinkle mushroom with salt and pepper, then add in garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes or until very fragrant.
    • Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and transfer to the skillet. Add in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and about ½ cup of that reserved pasta water.
    • Reduce heat to low, and simmer until a nice sauce forms and coats the pasta. Continue adding remaining reserved pasta water if pasta begins to dry out. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 300kcal

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Summer Squash Pasta (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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    summer squash pasta on a plate with white wine, basil, and red pepper flakes on the side

    This summer squash pasta is the perfect way to enjoy one of this season’s BEST vegetables! Fresh summer squash is quickly sautéed until perfectly tender then tossed with your favorite pasta. This simple weeknight meal is light, healthy, and comes together in under 20 minutes!

    summer squash pasta being lifted off a plate with a fork

    ‘Tis the season! If you (like me) feel like you’re drowning in squash this summer, then you NEED to make this recipe. Summer squash peaks in the ….you guessed it – summer! My parents garden is currently being taken over by summer squash and zucchini. They have so much squash at this point that they have no clue what to do with it all! One solution to their problem is sending me home with massive bags of it every time I visit them. And while I still have a few squash sitting in my fridge right now, I was able to use some of them in this delicious pasta recipe!

    I don’t know about you, but lately I’ve been a big fan of anything quick and easy when it comes to time spent in the kitchen. Hovering over a hot stove for more than 20 minutes sounds like pure torture in this city heat and humidity. Therefore, I’m on a mission to develop as many no-bake/cook recipes or ready in under 30 minutes recipes as possible! This specific vegan and gluten-free pasta recipe falls into the latter category, and for that reason alone we love it so much.

    What You Need To Make Summer Squash Pasta

    Summer Squash and/or Zucchini– This recipe is the perfect way to use up any leftover summer squash and/or zucchini in your garden! Simply wash and then slice at least two of them, then throw them in this recipe. If you like your pasta extra squash-y (new word – squashy!) feel free to add an extra squash or two in there. The more, the merrier when it comes to this summer squash pasta!

    Pasta – I used Jovial Brown Rice Gluten-Free Farfalle pasta in my dish, however you can use whatever kind of pasta you’d like in this recipe. Rigatoni, orecchiette, ziti, penne, or really any pasta shape would work here. If you’re gluten-free like me, I highly recommend the Jovial pasta as it tastes incredibly similar to the real thing.

    Basil – Continuing on with the summer trend, this herb flourishes in the warm weather! Basil really helps pack on the freshness in this simple pasta dish. If you don’t have basil, you can use fresh parsley instead.

    Adjust This Recipe To Your Diet

    • Add Dairy: Finish this summer squash pasta off with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese for a delightful, savory bite!
    • Make it Paleo: You can easily make this dish paleo by doubling up on the squash and removing the pasta from this recipe. It’ll be more of a side dish than a main course, but will still taste totally delicious!
    Summer Squash Pasta (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
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    Summer Squash Pasta (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    4

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    15

    minutes
    Total time

    20

    minutes

    This summer squash pasta is the perfect way to enjoy one of this season’s BEST vegetables! Fresh summer squash is quickly sautéed until perfectly tender then tossed with your favorite pasta. This simple weeknight meal is light, healthy, and comes together in under 20 minutes!

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces pasta, see Notes

    • 1/4 cup olive oil

    • 5 garlic cloves, minced

    • 2 summer squash and/or zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices

    • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

    • 1/4 cup fresh basil

    Directions

    • Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
    • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
    • Add in the squash and/or zucchini along with the salt, cook 10-15 minutes, tossing every few minutes.
    • Transfer cooked and drained pasta to the skillet along with red pepper flakes and lemon juice, toss everything together.
    • Remove from heat, add in basil, and serve immediately.

    Recipe Video

    Notes

    • Pasta: I used gluten-free farfalle pasta in this recipe, though you can use any kind of pasta you’d like!

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    30 Minutes or Less

    Kale Pesto (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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    Kale pesto in spaghetti being twirled with a fork.

    Pour this kale pesto over your favorite pasta for an easy, healthy meal! Loaded with fresh kale, this is the ultimate way to sneak extra veggies into your diet. With a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a fresh and delicious kale pesto in under 5 minutes!

    Kale pesto in spaghetti being twirled with a fork.

    The Story Behind This Recipe

    We’re major pesto people around here. I make a killer basil pesto (be on the lookout for a recipe this summer!). There’s just something so fresh, yet satisfying about a good pesto. I was skeptical attempting a kale version of a favorite. But WOW, I had absolutely nothing to worry about. This kale pesto is savory, bright, almost refreshing and completely hides how healthy it is. As some of you know, most pestos are made with some type of cheese. But because we’re a cheese-free zone, I developed this recipe without cheese. And honestly – you won’t even know it’s missing anything!

    What You Need To Make Kale Pesto

    Kale – I used green curly kale, though any kale will work in this recipe. Be sure to remove as much of the stems from your kale leaves as possible before blending. And when I say “roughly chopped,” I mean it. Simply run your knife through the kale a couple of times and then it’s ready to use in this recipe!

    Pistachios – Pistachios add a hearty almost sweet touch to this kale pesto. I’ve tried a few different nuts in this recipe and all work, though pistachios taste best. However, whatever nuts you use, it’s imperative that they are completely unsalted!

    Lemon Juice – A touch of acidity brings out the brightness of this recipe! Lemon juice also helps to break down the tough fibers in the kale, making it easier to digest.

    Ways To Enjoy This Kale Pesto

    • Perhaps the most obvious way is over pasta. This is how I enjoyed my kale pesto, with Jovial Brown Rice gluten-free pasta. I also added sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers for extra protein/nutrients – and it was delicious!
    • Don’t knock this one ’til you try it – with scrambled eggs! Stir a tablespoon or two of kale pesto in with your eggs right before they’re finished cooking. The end result is creamy scrambled eggs loaded with flavor and veggies.
    • On toast – slather a healthy helping of kale pesto on toasted bread for a quick and delicious snack!
    Kale Pesto (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    Print

    Kale Pesto (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    0 from 0 votes
    Recipe by Samantha Russo Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
    Servings

    6

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Total time

    5

    minutes

    Pour this kale pesto over your favorite pasta for an easy, healthy meal! Loaded with fresh kale, this is the ultimate way to sneak extra veggies into your diet. With a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a fresh and delicious kale pesto in under 5 minutes!

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups packed kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

    • 1/2 cup pistachios, raw and unsalted

    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

    • 2 garlic cloves, see Notes

    • 1 teaspoon salt

    • 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil

    Directions

    • Add all ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor or blender. Pulse until finely chopped, then slowly stream in the olive oil while blending until combined.

    Notes

    • Garlic: There’s no need to chop the garlic for this recipe, simply remove the skin then throw the cloves in with the other ingredients!

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