Made in 15 minutes, this Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is an easy weeknight meal. It's good served hot or cold.
This Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta is perfect for those weeknights when you want a quick and easy meal. Made with mostly pantry staples, you can have this dish on the table in no time.
It's made in 15 minutes and can be eaten hot or cold. Take it to work as your brown bag lunch.
Serve it with and Avocado Pesto Grilled Cheese or a Vegan Pizza Grilled Cheese.
Some other sun-dried tomato recipes are my Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Hummus and my 5 Ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato Soup.
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What Is Pesto Made Of?
Classic pesto is made with fresh basil, parmesan cheese or pecorino (or both), pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt.
This vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta has sun-dried tomatoes in addition to the classic ingredients, and nutritional yeast in place of cheese.
🧾 Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: Adds a sweet tart flavor. I used sun-dried tomatoes in oil, but you could use the dry ones as well. Just make sure to soak them in warm water first.
- Fresh basil: Pesto just isn't pesto without basil! Adds a sweet and savory flavor with hints of anise.
- Garlic: Adds a pungent flavor.
- Nutritional yeast: Adds a cheesy flavor. You could also use store-bought vegan parmesan or homemade.
- Pine nuts: Adds a nutty flavor. Pine nuts are another classic pesto ingredient. You could swap them out for other nuts.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A classic pesto ingredient. You could also use more of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Salt: Make sure to add to taste! The sun-dried tomatoes are salty on their own, so watch how much salt you add.
- Penne pasta: I used chickpea penne pasta because it holds the pesto sauce and I like the added protein. You could use your favorite.
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🔪 Instructions
In a food processor mix sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, minced garlic, nutritional yeast, olive oil and salt. Sun-dried tomatoes are salty on their own, so taste to see how much salt you want.
Pour water into a pot. Bring water to a boil. Add penne pasta. Turn down heat to medium and cook pasta 7-9 minutes (or according to the package directions).
Drain water. reserving some of the liquid to moisten the sauce.
Add pesto sauce to the pasta. Add some of the pasta water to moisten it. Stir to combine.
🥡 Storage
This gluten-free vegan pesto pasta recipe will last about 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
📖 Variations / Additions
- Walnuts, almonds, or other nuts
- Spinach or kale
- Store-bought or homemade vegan parmesan
- Red pepper flakes
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Basil
Pine nuts
Spinach
Roasted red pepper
Olives
Artichokes
Sun-dried tomatoes taste great with chickpeas in a Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Chickpea Salad Sandwich or Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Hummus. They also work well in a Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Vegan Cheese Ball and 5 Ingredient Sun-dried Tomato Soup.
🎥 Video
I originally posted this recipe April 19, 2016. I added new photos, text and a video when I republished it.
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📋 Recipe
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- ½ cup packed fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. gluten free penne pasta - I used chickpea pasta
- Salt
Instructions
- Mix pesto ingredients together in a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Cook pasta according to directions in salted water. Add the pasta to the pesto, tossing to coat. Add a splash of the pasta water to moisten, adding more splashes of the pasta water to thin, if desired.
Nutrition
*Note: Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only. Different nutrition calculators give you different results.
Cait Weingartner (@prettyandfun) says
YUM! This looks so good.
Les @ The Balanced Berry says
YUM - Willow this recipe sounds fantastic! I agree, sun dried tomatoes and caramelized onions make just about everything taste amazing.
Willow Moon says
Thanks Les!
Leah says
What a great flavor combo, and so healthy! Yum!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Leah!
Aarika says
I love pesto! How great that you use nutritional yeast! Nutritional yeast is a must in my pesto. I can't wait to try this recipe. Yum!
Willow Moon says
Thanks Aarika! I love nutritional yeast and I eat it with so many things!
sophistifunkblog says
This sounds so delicious! I love anything pesto, so I can't wait to try this!
xo Brie
Willow Moon says
Thanks Brie!
Klauss says
Pasta with dried tomatoes, one of my favorites. But I do not understand why the yeast in pesto?
Willow Moon says
I used it as a parmesan sustitute, so that it adds a cheesy flavor while staying vegan.
Kamara H says
Ooh I love sundried tomato based sauces, especially pesto! This looks like something I would definitely make (not too complicated or long-winded :D), so thanks for sharing.
Willow Moon says
No, nothing too complicated here! I love easy to throw together meals too!