Chickpea & Cashew Pesto Pasta

This chickpea & cashew pesto pasta is one of my favourite easy and healthy dinner recipes. The pesto is easy to make, with cashews, tofu, lots of fresh basil, spinach, lemon juice, and more. The veggies are sautéed in one pan while the pasta boils, and the dish comes together in under 30 minutes. Bookmark this delicious pasta recipe because you will be making it on repeat!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil (see notes for oil-free)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 3/4 cup cooked chickpeas
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes (optional)
• 200-210g pasta
• Lemon zest & vegan parmesan to serve

Homemade Pesto

• 1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 100g extra-firm tofu
• Large handful of fresh spinach
• 30-40g fresh basil leaves (approx)
• 1 lemon (about 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice)
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4-1/3 cup water (or creamy non-dairy milk, such as oat milk)

Equipment

• Blender
• 1 pan
• 1 small-medium pot

Instructions

1. Boil water for pasta and cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Dice or slice the red onion, then add to a large pot or pan on medium heat with olive oil, stirring occasionally.
3. Peel and mince the garlic cloves, then add them to the onions, continuing to stir.
4. Cut the cherry tomatoes and add them to the onions and garlic, stirring and cooking until they’ve softened.
5. Drain and rinse the chickpeas if using canned chickpeas. Add to the pan and reduce heat to medium-low while you blend together the pesto.
6. Optionally (and highly recommend), roughly chop and add sundried tomatoes to the pan.
7. To a blender, add cashews, tofu, spinach, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt and water. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding more water if needed. Pour into the pan with the veggies.
8. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and then add it to the large pan with the veggies and creamy pesto sauce. Mix well, then remove from heat and serve.
9. Top with vegan parmesan and optionally some lemon zest, then enjoy!

Notes

*For a nut-free version of the homemade pesto, substitute 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and an extra 1/2 cup of beans for cashews in the sauce.

*For an oil-free version, substitute water or veggie broth for olive oil to sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes.

*Depending on the strength of your blender, you may need to soak cashews in boiling water before blending. I find the best blender for cashews is a bullet blender!