Today I’m in and out with a quick recipe from my instagram!
I made this pasta with pesto cream sauce for dinner a few weekends back, and people were loving the photo on instagram, so I thought I’d just share the recipe.
This is the definition of an easy weeknight meal- I just threw some pasta in the pot (we had a little whole wheat penne and a little whole wheat rotini), reserved some cooking water, made a sauce, and stirred in pesto.
Top is off with basil leaves and that’s one easy and totally delicious dinner that comes together in 30 minutes or less!
Enjoy xx
Vegan Whole Wheat Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce
Author: Whisk & Shout
Recipe type: Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This quick and delicious vegan pasta with pesto cream sauce is light and flavorful. Top it off with fresh basil for a perfect meal!
Ingredients
- 6-8 oz whole wheat pasta, any kind
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup vegan cream cheese
- 3 tbsp almonds
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 5 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped finely
- ¼ cup vegan pesto
- 4-6 basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Set a pot of water to boil with 4 tsp salt (or more!) and cook your pasta until al dente.
- Drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water. Don't rinse.
- Meanwhile, combine almond milk, cream cheese, almonds, nutritional yeast, black pepper, remaining salt, and lemon zest in a blender and pulse until smooth.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sweat out your garlic with the olive oil (let it sizzle until soft and fragrant over low-ish heat, about 1-2 minutes)
- Add in your sauce from the blender and the ½ cup of pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it bubble for 10-12 minutes, until thickened.
- Toss pasta with sauce and stir in pesto until all combined.
- Sprinkle with chopped basil for garnish.
*adapted from my pasta recipe here
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Mmm pesto sauce is my absolute favorite! I love this creamy version, Medha! Sounds perfect!
Thanks, Gayle!
Brilliant! I need to start doing this more…sometimes my rando photos on InstaG get far more attention than the ones I spend time staging, ha! LOVE this vegan pasta! It looks so creamy and dreamy and love that it’s all sorts of healthy!
Exactly! Thanks 🙂
What a delicious and simple recipe, Medha! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you!!
Everyone loves a pasta, and particularly a creamy pasta that looks this good. I’ve come to prefer whole wheat pasta for most sauces. This is a great meal!
Thanks 🙂
This sounds awesome! The sauce looks so creamy and rich! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks, Kelley!
i love quick in and out meals like this..esp with pesto, i bet it was so delicious!
It definitely was! 🙂
God, this looks good 😛 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Josefine!
I love an easy, delicious, and healthy pasta recipe any day of the week! I hope you are having a blast at school!
I am, thanks 🙂
Pesto cream? Yesyesyes! Love this simple and delightful weeknight meal! Well done, my friend!
Thanks so much!
love easy recipes like this, looks yum!
Thanks, Manali 🙂
Love the pesto cream sauce! So creamy and perfect for busy weeknights!
Thanks, Kelly!
Gorgeous, easy, and delish. What could you want more?
Great job M!
Thank you!
I love a good pesto sauce on pasta, and vegan pesto sounds even better. Yum!
Thanks 🙂
No wonder people were loving it, so creamy, easy and delicious, thanks for sharing it, I will definitely try it 🙂
Thanks, Katalina!
Wow, this is totally my kind of weeknight meal. I love pesto, it’s so versatile and delicious. I’ll try your creamy version next time!
LMK if you do 🙂
I love how simple this is! It looks so perfectly creamy and comforting for fall too!
Pesto is the ultimate comfort food 🙂
Vegan pesto!? Yes, please! Love that you made pasta both creamy and vegan. High five!
Thanks, Amy!
Looks fantastic. So creamy and won’t give me a tummyache! Well done!
Thanks 🙂
Beautiful photo – I’m so glad you shared the recipe! The pesto cream sounds absolutely wonderful. I’ve never tried the vegan version, but I think I’m going to have to try!
Thanks, Kathleen!
This looks like a perfect go-to dinner!
For sure!
Yum I love pesto but I’ve never tried doing a creamy version like that – certainly looks good. I’m not vegan so I would add some chicken in there to give the meal some protein 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Instagram is the best 🙂 This pasta looks delicious – and so simple. I need more simple meals in my life!
Thanks!
Love it! Simple, easy and fast! Looks delicious 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Beautiful! Thank you very much for all the pasta cravings x
You’re so welcome!
This pasta is absolutely sensational!!!! I want a bite right now.
Thanks!!
I love recipes like this that are so easy to make but end up being one of the best weeknight dinners! I’m loving this creamy pasta 🙂
Thank you!!
Pesto is my favorite pasta sauce hands down, and I love this vegan alternative! This is such a delicious looking bowl of pasta!
Thanks!
This is my kind of weeknight dinner. I’m always so bad when it comes to making a dinner, so I need more meals like this in my back pocket. Also, I love that you just threw in two different types of pasta. I always do that because I usually have tons of half boxes laying around!
Right?!
Oh wow – this dish looks so amazing! My mouth is watering just looking at your pictures and I already had dinner!! Pinned 😀
Thanks for the pin!
I had something similar to this last night, except yours looks sooo much better and creamier. I will try it again tonight except with some of your additions!! yay
Aw thanks!