Easy Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta with Spring Peas
A quick and easy vegan pesto pasta featuring a creamy cashew-based sauce and fresh spring peas, perfect for a light yet indulgent plant-based meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces (225 grams) pasta of choice (spaghetti, linguine, or penne)
- 1 cup (150 grams) fresh or frozen spring peas (thawed if frozen)
- Salt, for pasta water
- 1 cup (140 grams) fresh basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup (70 grams) raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
- Optional garnishes: toasted pine nuts or walnuts, fresh basil leaves, lemon zest
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in hot water for 15 minutes to soften.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (8-10 minutes). Add spring peas during the last 2 minutes to blanch.
- Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of pasta cooking water before draining.
- Drain pasta and peas and return to the pot off the heat or to a large mixing bowl.
- Drain soaked cashews and add to blender with basil, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Blend until ultra-smooth, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Pour pesto sauce over pasta and peas and toss until well coated.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or red pepper flakes as desired.
- Serve immediately, garnished with toasted nuts, fresh basil, lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Soak cashews in hot water for at least 15 minutes for a creamy sauce; blend pesto until very smooth for best texture. Add reserved pasta water to loosen sauce if too thick. Toss pasta and pesto off heat to prevent sauce from breaking. Fresh basil is key for vibrant flavor and color. Optional red pepper flakes add a subtle kick.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 53
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 14
Keywords: vegan pesto pasta, creamy vegan pasta, spring peas pasta, plant-based pesto, dairy-free pesto, easy vegan dinner