Tastenexa
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Italian
Dairy-Free Pesto Pasta
22 min total10 prep12 cook2 servings480 cal
VeganVegetarianFlexitarianContains glutenContains tree nut
A vibrant, dairy-free basil pesto made with nutritional yeast in place of parmesan, blended until smooth and tossed with pasta and sweet cherry tomatoes. Just as rich and herby as the classic, without a drop of dairy.
Ingredients
pantry
- 250 gspaghetti
- 3 tbsppine nuts
- 5 tbspolive oil
- 2 tbspnutritional yeast
- 0.75 tspsalt
- 0.25 tspblack pepper
produce
- 2 cupsfresh basil
- 2 clovesgarlic
- 150 gcherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsplemon juice
Steps
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, halve the cherry tomatoes.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.
- Pulse a few times to break everything down, then, with the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until the pesto is smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Season the pesto with salt and black pepper, and pulse once more to combine.
- Add the drained pasta to a large bowl along with the pesto.
- Toss to coat, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce clings to the noodles.
- Fold in the halved cherry tomatoes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or lemon juice if needed.
- Divide among bowls, garnishing with extra pine nuts or basil leaves if desired.
Tips
- Stream the olive oil in slowly while blending for a smoother, creamier pesto.
- Reserve pasta water before draining — it's essential for loosening the pesto without dulling the flavor.
- Toast the pine nuts lightly in a dry pan first for a deeper, nuttier pesto flavor.
- Nutritional yeast adds a savory, cheese-like flavor without any dairy.
