Pesto Pasta

Pesto pasta is a vibrant dish made with al dente pasta tossed in a rich and flavorful sauce of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and olive oil. It's quick to prepare yet packed with bold, fresh flavors making it a perfect bowl for a cozy and satisfying Friday night dinner.

I have been making this dairy free version of pesto and using for pasta for quite some time now. Traditionally pesto sauce is made with parmesan cheese but I have substituted cheese with nutritional yeast in this pesto recipe.

Using nutritional yeast instead of cheese in pesto is a great dairy-free, vegan alternative. It adds a nutty, cheesy flavor while being rich in B-vitamins and protein. Simply replace Parmesan with 2–3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a flavorful, plant-based pesto.

For protein, you can use your choice of protein. I have used salad style shrimps in this recipe.

Pesto Pasta

Ingredients-

For Pesto Sauce

• Fresh basil leaves, 4 cups

• Pine nuts, Toasted, 2 cups

• Garlic cloves, 7

• Lemon juice, 3 tbsp

• Nutritional yeast, 3 tbsp

• Salt, 1/2 tsp

• Water, 2 tbsp

  
  

For Pasta

• Linguine pasta, 6 oz

• Olive oil, 4 tbsp

• Salt, 3 tsp

• Paprika powder, 1 tbsp

• Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp

• Dried basil powder, 1 tsp

• Garlic, 2 cloves, fine chopped

• Shrimps, salad sized, 2 cups

• White button mushrooms, 10, sliced thinly

• Baby Spinach, 2 cups

• Tomato, 1 small, sliced thinly

• Lemon juice, 3 tbsp

• Water, 5 cups

• Chilli flakes, 1 tsp

• Oregano, 1 tsp

Recipe

For Pesto Sauce

1. Add in fresh basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, water to a blender. Blend until everything is blended smooth.

   Empty in an air tight jar and you can use this pesto sauce for pasta, salads, sandwiches.

   
   

   For Pasta

2. In a sauce pan, add 5 cups of water with 1 tsp salt ,and 1 tbsp olive oil. Bring it to boil. Add in pasta and cook gently for 8-10 minutes or as instructed on packet. Stir every 2 mins to avoid pasta becoming sticky. Once al-dente, drain off the water and add another tbsp olive oil, gently give it a mix to avoid pasta becoming sticky.

   You can store 1 cup of cooked pasta water as it is starchy and can be used in sauce too.
   

3. In a saucepan on low heat, add in 2 tbsp olive oil and fine chopped garlic. Stir a few seconds and add in shrimps. Add 1 tbsp paprika powder, dried basil powder, 1/2 tsp salt. Cook shrimps on both sides for about 2-3 mins till they are golden and remove them from pan and let it sit aside.

   
   

4. In the same pan, add in sliced mushrooms with 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes on low heat and once done, add in sliced tomatoes and 2 cup full spinach. Cook for a minute until spinach starts to wilt. Now, you can add in 1/2 cup of cooked pasta water and stir till the water is almost absorbed.

   
   

5. Transfer in cooked shrimps and 5 tbsp pesto sauce with 1/2 cup cooked pasta water. Add in the pasta and gently mix to coat pasta with the sauce. Add in juice of half lemon and toss the pasta again gently. Plate it and sprinkle some chilly flakes, oregano, italian seasoning.

   Delicious, creamy pesto pasta bowl is ready to enjoy !!

Happy Eating :D