Traditional pesto pasta is not vegan as it is made with Parmesan cheese (non-vegan), herbs, and roasted veggies. Some recipes may call for meat broth or other non-vegan ingredients.
However, you can get your pesto pasta vegan by removing the animal-derived ingredients and using vegan cheese. Please note that restaurant-bought vegan pesto pasta is at risk of cross-contamination since all the food (vegan and non-vegan) is prepared using the same equipment. You can make vegan pesto pasta at home too.
Is Pesto Pasta Vegetarian?
It is vegetarian as long as it is made with cheese free from animal rennet. Most traditional cheeses have animal rennet, and vegetarians usually don’t eat them. All the other ingredients in pesto pasta are usually vegetarian. Some restaurants may add chicken broth, bacon, or beef to pesto pasta. Vegetarians don’t eat meat or products that involve killing animals. They are okay with animal-derived edibles like honey, eggs, and milk.
Is Pesto Sauce Vegan?
It depends on the ingredients. Most readymade pesto sauce is not vegan as it contains cheese. However, some brands make vegan pesto sauce. Make sure you check the ingredients before buying.
Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking pan (for pesto sauce)
- Cooking Pot (for pasta)
- Food processor
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
For the Pesto Sauce
- ⅔ cup (100g) Pine nuts
- ¼ cups (60ml) Olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tsp Crushed garlic
- ⅓ cup (20g) Nutritional yeast flakes
- 10 green olives (pitted)
- 1 cup Fresh basil (packed cup)
- 1 cup Baby spinach leaves (packed cup)
- ½ tsp Sea salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
For the Pasta
- 16 ounces (450g) Vegan penne pasta (measured dry)
- 20 Cherry tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instruction on the packaging and drain it.
- Roast the pine nuts for 5-10 minutes at medium to high for 5 minutes or until they get golden brown. Stir regularly to avoid burning.
- Take your food processor or a blender and add roasted pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, green olives, basil, nutritional yeast, baby spinach, salt, and pepper to make pesto sauce.
- Test the taste and add more salt/pepper or both accordingly.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into half and roast them in your pan for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour the pesto sauce over the drained pasta and add the roasted tomatoes.
- Now mix well to finish the recipe.
- You can garnish with vegan parmesan and red pepper flakes if you like.
Video
Notes
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 9g
- Vitamin A: 988IU
- Vitamin C: 15mg
- Sodium: 309mg
- Potassium: 341mg
- Calcium: 31mg
- Iron: 3mg
Is Pasta Primavera Vegan?
Pasta Primavera is usually not vegan as it is made using parmesan cheese. However, you can always make it vegan by removing the non-vegan ingredients or making it at home.
Is Pasta Sauce Vegan?
Pasta sauce may or may not be vegan. It depends on the ingredients, so always check the ingredients if you want to buy a 100% vegan pasta sauce. Please note that most pasta sauces come with a cross-contamination warning.
Is Pasta Salad Vegan?
It is vegan as long as it is free from animal-derived ingredients like cheese, meat, and dairy. Always check the ingredients before ordering pasta salad.
Is Dry Pasta Vegan?
Most dry pasta is vegan as it is made from flour and water. However, some variations may have eggs or milk powder. So, never skip checking the ingredients when buying boxed pasta.
Is Barilla Pasta Vegan?
Yes. Most of Barilla’s pasta variations are vegan. Some of its pasta doesn’t have non-vegan ingredients but comes with a cross-contamination warning for milk and eggs. Please note that Barilla’s ready-to-eat boxes are hardly vegan.
Is De Cecco Pasta Vegan?
Yes. De Cecco pasta is sold as dry pasta, and it is mostly vegan. However, not all variations are vegan. You must check the ingredients before buying.
Is Banza Pasta Vegan?
Yes. All variations of Banza’s dry pasta are vegan. The same cannot be said about Banza pizza and mac & cheese.
Is Penne Pasta Vegan?
Penne Pasta is sold as dry pasta, and it is mostly vegan.
Is Chickpea Pasta Vegan?
Yes. Chickpea pasta is generally vegan. It is made from chickpea flour and water. Some brands may add other ingredients to pasta too. So, don’t forget to check the ingredients in the box.
Is Lentil Pasta Vegan?
Yes, Lentil pasta is mostly vegan and sold as dry pasta.
