Vegetarian Pesto Pasta

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My healthy and delicious vegetarian pesto pasta recipe is ideal for anyone looking for the perfect weeknight dinner, because it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! I bring creamy ricotta, salty parmesan, fresh basil, and spinach together with whole wheat pasta and crunchy pine nuts to create a dish that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy!

I absolutely love homemade Italian pesto! There’s something incredibly satisfying about the fresh herbs and velvety texture of a good pesto. However, I used to think of it as a guilty pleasure because traditional pesto is often loaded with oil, cheese, and fat.

While you can sometimes substitute other greens for some of the fat, I’ve never quite found a recipe that tastes perfect. However, I’ve finally done it!

I’ve created the best vegetarian pesto pasta recipe that’s not only delicious but healthy too. I took my favorite traditional recipe and lightened it up by reducing the amount of oil, using part-skim ricotta cheese, and incorporating some spinach.

Trust me, once you try it you won’t notice the missing extra calories or fat. It’s so tasty that even both my kids gobbled up this pesto veggie pasta and asked for seconds.

If you love Italian dishes as much as we do in our house then you should also check out this list of my favorite vegetarian Italian recipes! From veggie supreme pizza to a vegan bolognese, there is something for everyone!

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🥘 Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make my easy vegetarian pesto pasta recipe. For exact measurements and nutritional info, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Spinach: This leafy green vegetable adds a vibrant pop of color, along with a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals (source). I used frozen spinach to save time, but feel free to use fresh spinach if you prefer!

Basil: My vegetarian pesto recipe wouldn’t be complete without some fragrant fresh basil. For the best flavor, choose vibrant green basil with healthy leaves. 

Pine Nuts: Just like in classic pesto recipes, I blend pine nuts into the sauce and sprinkle a few on top for extra crunch. If you don’t have pine nuts, you can also use slivered almonds or walnuts. Walnut pesto is also popular in Italian cuisine and would taste great with this dish.

Aromatics & Spices: I use a combination of fresh garlic cloves, sea salt, and black pepper to enhance and develop the flavor of the sauce. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Rich extra virgin olive oil contributes to the creamy texture and flavor. However, I use just a small amount, combined with reserved pasta water, to reduce the pesto pasta calories and fat.

Ricotta Cheese: Makes the sauce nice and creamy! You could also use cottage cheese if you don’t like ricotta.

Parmesan Cheese: To keep my pesto pasta vegetarian I use fresh parmesan cheese that doesn’t contain any rennet. The grated type you find in the aisle with the pasta is not what you’re looking for. 

Whole Wheat Penne: I like to use whole wheat penne pasta for this dish. It’s high in fiber, which makes it healthier and I think it absorbs the sauce well (source). However, you can use any type of noodle you like such as rotini pasta, linguine, bucatini, capellini, spaghetti, and fettuccine.

👩🏽‍🍳 How To Make Vegetarian Pesto Pasta

Learning how to make my vegetarian pasta with pesto is super easy. The dish is perfect for even beginners in the kitchen and is ready in no time. I promise, making homemade pesto is so easy and tastes way better than store bought! Watch my video below to see the full step-by-step process.

Make Pesto Sauce: To begin, I put the fresh basil, ricotta, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper into my food processor, and puree until smooth. You can also use a blender. 

Cook Pasta: Once the pesto is made, I bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Then I drain the pasta and reserve 1-2 ladles of pasta water (about a half cup) to mix with the homemade pesto in a later step. 

Cook Spinach: After the pasta is cooked, I defrost the frozen spinach in a large pan over medium heat. This normally takes me about 2-3 minutes. 

Mix Pasta & Sauce: First, I add the cooked pasta and homemade basil pesto to the pan with the spinach and gently stir until blended. Then I add the reserved pasta water a little at a time until I reach the perfect creamy consistency. 

Serve & Enjoy: When ready, I serve my veggie pasta with pesto topped with 1-2 teaspoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of pine nuts!

📖 Variations

Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe: To make this vegan, I simply use vegan parmesan and vegan ricotta. My go-to is Kite Hill’s vegan ricotta, which has a great creamy texture. You can also use 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast in the pesto sauce, and sprinkle an additional 2 tablespoons on top of the pasta before serving in place of the parmesan cheese.

Gluten-Free: If you want to make the dish gluten-free all you have to do is swap out the whole wheat pasta for a gluten-free variety such as red lentil pasta, chickpea based pasta, or brown rice pasta. You could even use zucchini noodles to make my recipe low-carb. 

Super Veggie Pesto Pasta Recipe: Another option is to give this dish more of a pasta primavera feel and add in all the veggies you have on hand! To do this, I add fresh veggies like yellow summer squash, green beans, zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, broccoli, eggplant, or cherry tomatoes. When I make this version I always saute or roast the vegetables separately before adding them to the pasta to ensure that they don’t overcook.

Broccoli Pesto Pasta: This is a great way to add even more green veggies! To make this variation, I add 1 cup of broccoli florets to the food processor along with the other pesto ingredients! 

Add More Protein: Feel free to toss in some white beans, cannellini beans, or chickpeas to make this a high protein vegetarian pesto pasta. You could even toss in some of my tofu meatballs.

Add Marinara: If you find the taste of basil pesto a bit intense, you can easily mellow it out by mixing in some of my homemade low-carb marinara sauce. This combination creates a creamy, balanced flavor that’s less bold but still delicious.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

You can serve my healthy pesto pasta recipe on its own, or pair it with a variety of dishes for a heartier meal. Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this dish:

With Bread: You can’t go wrong serving my vegetable pesto pasta recipe with some homemade vegan garlic bread or these garlic bread grilled cheese sandwiches! It’s also incredible with my buckwheat sourdough bread and some butter.

With Salads: I love serving it with a simple garden salad tossed with my vegan Italian dressing. You can also serve it with a more filling salad like my keto Greek salad,  roasted cauliflower salad, or tomato avocado cucumber salad.

With Sides: To add even more color to your plate and added nutrition serve it with my Italian ratatouille. For something more filling, it’s also wonderful with my roasted broccoli and potatoes or white bean soup.

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

For The Pesto Pasta

First, I let the pasta cool completely, then I store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days. When I’m ready to enjoy it again, I reheat it in the microwave for about 1 minute, adding a little water or broth if it feels dry. Unfortunately, once the sauce and pasta are combined, this dish doesn’t freeze well and will become mushy once defrosted. I recommend preparing the pasta fresh if making the sauce in advance.

For The Pesto Sauce

My vegetarian pesto freezes beautifully! I spoon it into ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer bag for easy storage. When I’m ready to use it, I simply let a few cubes thaw overnight in the fridge. Frozen pesto keeps for about 3 months.

I will often batch cook and freeze fresh pesto in the spring and summer (when herbs are the most aromatic) so I can have it on hand all year long. Note: To freeze large batches of pesto, transfer to a freezer storage container, cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil, then seal. Having larger batches on hand works perfectly for those times when you want to throw dinner together quickly.

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