Easy Red Pesto Pasta

This sun-dried tomato pesto pasta is a vegan recipe, it is full of flavor, and it is quick and easy to make. If you are a lover of simple pasta, this is a recipe for you. 

Jump to:

• WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
• INGREDIENTS
• HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE: STEP BY STEP
• TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE PERFECTLY
• STORAGE
• OTHER PASTA RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
• RECIPE

WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

Super flavorful - this red pesto pasta recipe is full of flavor. The rich, umami notes make it stand out from green pesto varieties that I have tried before and really fill your mouth with flavor!

Quick and easy to make - this recipe only takes 20 minutes to make, so it's perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something fast.

Red pesto can be used for dipping, sandwich spreading, salad topping, with pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• Sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomato is the star ingredient of this pesto sauce. For this recipe, I like to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. They're soft and easier to blend to a creamy consistency.

• Olive oil: The best olive oil to use is extra virgin olive oil. However, any olive oil will work.

• Nutritional yeast: Pestos need hard, salty cheeses. Nutritional yeast has a savory flavor that resembles cheese. To substitute use vegan parmesan cheese if available. 

• Basil leaves: Use fresh basil leaves. Only a handful of fresh basil. We don't want the flavor of basil to overpower the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes. 

• Garlic: Use fresh garlic, and use more or less to taste. Fresh garlic tastes better, but if you need to substitute use garlic powder. 

• Pine nuts: For pine nuts substitute use almonds, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, or for a nut-free pesto sunflower seeds.

• Pasta: Use pasta like fusilli, farfalle, penne pasta, or pasta of your choice. To make this recipe gluten-free simply replace pasta with gluten-free pasta. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE: STEP BY STEP

STEP 1

 Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook al dente, following the package directions. While pasta is cooking start making pesto sauce.

STEP 2

In a dry skillet, without oil, place pine nuts and toast over medium heat. Stir often until golden brown for a few minutes, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure not to burn them. Nuts can easily burn.

STEP 3

Add toasted nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, garlic, fresh basil, and olive oil to a food processor or a high-speed blender and blend until smooth with pesto-like consistency. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add extra oil if needed.

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STEP 4

Drain cooked pasta before adding it to a large serving bowl. Add your pesto and toss until it´s well combined.

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE PERFECTLY

• Toast pine nuts to enhance the flavor. It needs just a few minutes in a hot pan, until golden, to bring out its unique flavor. Don´t skip this step, because this will add flavor to your pesto.

• Adjust the taste adding more basil if needed, and also adding salt and black pepper to taste. 

• Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. They're soft and easier to blend to a creamy consistency.

• Add all the ingredients for the pesto sauce to the food processor and process until creamy. Add extra oilve oil if needed.

STORAGE

Store your leftovers in an airtight container. It should last for up to 5 days in the fridge.

OTHER PASTA RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

• Tomato basil pasta

• Zucchini pasta with creamy cashew bell pepper sauce

• Chanterelle mushroom pasta

If you have any questions or just want to say hi, don’t be afraid to leave a comment. I’ll be more than happy to answer all of your questions. And if you try this recipe, let me know what you think. If you want to stay updated follow me on Instagram or Pinterest.

RECIPE