Nut Free Pesto Pasta

This vegan nut free pesto pasta is an easy weeknight meal that is deliciously gluten and dairy free! This recipe is sure to be a family favorite and is high in protein thanks to the key ingredient – hemp seeds.

Someone recently asked me what my favorite pasta dish is. Picking a favorite pasta recipe would be like picking my favorite child (if I had kids that is), but this vegan nut free pesto pasta is definitely up there on my list!

Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for a little kick, some fresh black pepper and finely chopped basil for a simple weeknight dinner! It’s packed with protein thanks to the hemp seeds but so light and fresh.

You can serve this as is, toss in your favorite veggies like peas or arugula or serve it alongside my lemon pepper salmon or a simple grilled chicken.

If you love this recipe, be sure to try my roasted carrot pasta, chicken pot pie pasta or tuscan vegan gnocchi next!

Before we get started…

• I love adding a handful or two of fresh spinach or arugula to the pesto to add extra veggies, but this is totally optional.
• You need two cups of fresh basil here. Be sure to really pack the basil in as this is where most of the flavor comes from!

How to make vegan nut free pesto

Step 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. Just make sure to salt the water well to add flavor into the pasta.

Step 2. While the pasta is cooking, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor. 

Step 3. Process until smooth, or leave a few chunks for texture if desired. Give it a taste and add any additional salt, pepper, basil, olive oil or cheese as desired.

I like the sauce pretty thick, but if you prefer a thinner consistency you can add extra olive oil or a splash of veggie broth or water.

Step 4. Toss the sauce and pasta together, add more salt or pepper, top with red pepper flakes and enjoy! This recipe can be eaten hot or serve it cold as pasta salad style. I love it with my air fryer chicken cutlets!

Key ingredients

Pesto can be made with a bunch of different ingredients, but most will contain basil, a nut or seed and olive oil at the very least. For this recipe we’ll be using a few key ingredients to make a creamy, flavorful and a nut free pesto! You’ll need:

Hemp hearts – to add texture and creaminess to the recipe since we won’t be using any nuts. Most pesto recipes call for pine nuts, which can be expensive so we love having an alternative that is still very nutritious.

Basil – It wouldn’t be pesto without basil! Don’t skimp on the basil. This recipe calls for 2 full cups packed, but feel free to adjust to your preferences. This is where much of the flavor comes from, so don’t hold back!

Lemon – for a little bit of tang and extra flavor. You’ll need the juice from about 2 lemons.

Garlic – for lots of flavor and a touch of spice. I love a lot of garlic in my pasta, but you can scale back if you prefer.

Olive oil – this adds lot of flavor and makes the sauce extra creamy. I don’t recommend making this pesto without oil because it already doesn’t have nuts, so it needs the oil to make it creamy!

Salt & pepper – because they make everything better.

Parmesan Cheese – Most pesto uses cheese of some kind, but you can use my homemade cashew parmesan or just some nutritional yeast for dairy free.

Serving suggestions

If you want to keep things plant based or vegan, just serve as is! This recipe has a lot of protein from the hemp hearts, but you can up the protein content even further by using a chickpea or legume based pasta.

If you are not vegan, I love serving it alongside my lemon pepper salmon or tossing some grilled chicken into the mix.

You can make a double batch of the sauce so you have extra in case you want to add more veggies or protein.

How to store

This vegan nut free pesto pasta will store in the fridge for about 3-5 days. It may brown slightly, but the lemon acts as a natural preservative to keep it fresh for longer.

I suggest reheating in the microwave until warm or on the stove with a splash of water or oil so it doesn’t dry out.

What pasta is best for pesto?

I prefer using rotini pasta for pesto because the spirals trap the sauce really well. However, penne, rigatoni or even elbows work well! Bowties is also a popular one.

I used brown rice pasta to keep it gluten free, but anything goes here! You can use chickpea pasta for added protein.

Try these vegan pasta recipes next!

• Vegan Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
• Vegan Alfredo Sauce
• Broccoli Pesto Pasta
• Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
• Hidden Veggie Pasta

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