Vegetarian Pesto Pasta
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.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!
🌟 Why I Absolutely Love This Recipe
My recipe has all the richness of traditional pesto, with the bright flavor of fresh basil and creamy ricotta. The sauce is thick, almost an emerald green, and perfectly coats the penne so every bite is super tasty. This recipe may be healthy but I don’t ever sacrifice on flavor!
It’s true that traditionally vegetarian pesto pasta recipes aren’t typically considered a healthy meal. But with a few ingredient swaps, it’s possible to reduce the calories and fat. Believe it or not, my recipe has only about 320 calories per serving, which includes both the pesto and a heaping pile of whole wheat pasta!
Plus, if you want to make my recipe even healthier, you can easily make it vegan, gluten-free, or oil-free. I’ve even made this vegetarian pesto pasta with protein packed red lentil pasta or chickpea pasta and added extra veggies. It’s a versatile recipe that’s simple to customize.
I also love how easy it is to make my own healthy pesto. It only requires a few affordable basic ingredients and takes just minutes to prepare. It’s a great way to use any fresh basil you’ve got in your fridge. This quick and easy recipe lets me enjoy one of my favorite Italian dishes without the guilt.
But my favorite thing about my vegetarian pasta pesto is that it’s kid-friendly! As a busy mom, it’s a dish I can make that the whole family will eat. It’s so good that even kids won’t realize that some of the creamy deliciousness comes from spinach.
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 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!
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip when making my pesto pasta recipe is to use fresh, high-quality basil for the best herbaceous taste that makes pesto so irresistible. When buying my basil, I look for bright green leaves with no wilting or browning, as they have the most intense flavor and aroma.
If you use wilted or browned basil, your pesto can have a dull, bitter taste and a less vibrant color, which will significantly affect the overall dish. I also avoid adding any thick basil stems for the same reason.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Don’t Rinse The Pasta: After cooking the pasta just to al dente, I drain it but I never rinse it with water. The starch that clings to the pasta helps the pesto sauce adhere better.
- Salt The Water: I always generously salt my pasta water to season the pasta itself. As the noodles cook they absorb some of the salt, which enhances the overall flavor of the dish.
- Save Pasta Water: Don’t forget to reserve 1-2 ladles of pasta water before draining. I use this starchy water in my recipe to achieve the perfect consistency. It makes the sauce smoother and helps it cling to the penne.
- Choose Your Cheese Carefully: To make my pesto pasta recipe vegetarian, I make sure the parmesan cheese I use is made with vegetable-based rennet. Many store-bought parmesans contain animal rennet, so check the label before buying.
- Add Leftovers: Feel free to toss this pesto pasta with veggies or leftovers like beans. I’ve found it’s a great way to reduce waste. Just keep in mind if you’re adding raw veggies you’ll need to cook them first.
- Freeze Fresh Basil: One thing I like to do is buy a bunch of fresh basil during the summer when it’s in season, and then freeze small bunches of it in zip-top freezer bags. Then I can make pesto year round with flavorful fresh basil.
- Enhance The Flavor: My pesto recipe is a healthy base that you customize any way you like. I sometimes add additional herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness, or red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
📖 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.
❓Recipe FAQs
To check if my pasta is al dente, I take a piece out of the pot and bite into it. It should be tender but still have a slight firmness in the center. If the pasta feels too soft or mushy, it’s overcooked. Al dente pasta provides a better texture and helps the sauce cling to the pasta better.
Not all store-bought pesto is vegetarian, as many brands include animal-rennet-based parmesan derived from calves’ stomachs. However, I’ve found vegetarian and vegan options at stores like Trader Joe’s and Sprouts. So if you decide to use store-bought pesto to save time, always check the ingredients.
I don’t recommend making the composed dish ahead of time as the pasta tastes best when fresh. However, you can make the pesto sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer.
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Vegetarian Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese make sure your parmesan has vegetarian rennet, not animal rennet
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- ¼ tsp salt or more to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper or more to taste
- 1 16oz bag frozen spinach
- 8 oz whole wheat penne pasta or any whole wheat pasta you like!
- pasta water save about 1-2 ladle-fulls after cooking the pasta – it helps to make the sauce even creamier!
- additional freshly grated Parmesan optional, to top your pasta dish
Instructions
- To make the pesto sauce, put all ingredients (basil through black pepper in the list above) into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserve 1-2 ladle fulls of pasta water to mix with the sauce.
- In a large pan, heated over medium heat, defrost the frozen spinach for 2-3 min. Add in the cooked pasta and pesto sauce, stir until blended. Add the pasta water a little at a time until you like the consistency and taste.
- Serve topped with 1-2 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a small sprinkling of pine nuts!
Notes
- Cook the pasta al dente and don’t rinse it after you drain it.
- If you have any left over pesto, keep in in a sealable glass jar and top it up with olive oil to keep it fresh.
- Pesto freezes really well! Just portion it in ice cubes!
- If you don’t have pine nuts, you can use walnuts or almonds instead. Both almond and walnut pesto have nice nutty flavors that work well in this recipe!
- Make sure to choose a vegetable-rennet based cheese to keep this vegetarian friendly
- Feel free to toss this pasta with any extra veggies you have on hand – zucchini, carrots, squashes, bell peppers and broccoli would all work well.
- Swap the penne for a gluten-free chickpea based pasta (to make this recipe gluten-free), or any other whole wheat pasta of your choice. To add in even more veggies and reduce the carbs, you can use zucchini noodles instead of pasta itself!
- For some extra protein, feel free to throw in some cannelini beans or chickpeas as you toss the pasta! Be sure to adjust the seasoning/amount of sauce if you do!
What a beautiful recipe! Love when healthy food is so vibrant and flavorful. I love the idea of using spinach, and I bet I could convince my kids to eat this in a heartbeat. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes!! My kids love this recipe too! Thanks Farah!
This pesto pasta was really tasty! I’m definitely going to make this again.
Thanks so much Jen! 🙂
I love pesto sauce. I like your use of ricotta cheese in the sauce. That’s really interesting.
Thanks Rachna! The ricotta makes the sauce super creamy and delicious! Enjoy!
I made this pesto pasta for my family and they all loved it. Not only it is easy but it is delicious too.
Awesome! So happy to hear that Saif!
I love this pesto and pasta! Great flavor and even better combo! Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks so much Ned! So glad you liked it!
Gorgeous vibrant colour and I love how you’ve made it healthier! Great recipe.
Thanks Helen! 🙂
Pesto and pasta… a match made in… the kitchen! Even the spelling is quite similar! Love it!
Haha totally! Enjoy! 🙂
Such a light and delicious meal – love this for a meatless day!
Thanks Gina!! It’s so hearty and filling too so it’s perfect for a meatless meal!
This pesto pasta is vibrant, what a great idea! Even better that you made homemade pesto. Definitely trying this!
Yes! Homemade pesto tastes so much better than store bought and is so easy to make too!
Pesto pasta is always a go-to in our house for a quick and easy meal. This vegetarian version looks delicious.
Thanks Dannii! You will love it!
This pesto pasta looks delicious! I like that you are adding spinach to it, to make it even healthier.
Thanks Biana! Enjoy!
Such a delicious pasta dish! The flavors of the pesto are so good and pair perfectly with whole wheat pasta.
So glad you liked it Angela!