This Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad is bursting with summer flavor. Featuring herby pesto, pasta, and fresh veggies all tossed together for an easy meal.
When the weather gets warmer I can't help but go crazy with the pesto recipes. I may be a bit pesto obsessed.
But for good reason! Pesto is bright and fresh, it's creamy. It seriously tastes good on everything. Especially on pasta!
With a few extra ingredients mixed in - veggies and beans - this creamy pesto pasta salad is a perfect summer meal.
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Why you'll love this Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
- Great for warm weather - perfect for picnics, BBQs, or lunch on the go
- Loaded with flavor - basil pesto meets crunchy pine nuts, juicy tomatoes, and savory edamame
- Meal-prep friendly - holds up well in the fridge, making it great for weekday lunches
- Dietary needs - this pasta salad is vegan, dairy-free, and optionally oil-free and gluten-free
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pesto Ingredients
- Fresh Basil: fresh basil is key for pesto. Buy the basil right before you'd like to use it to avoid it going bad. If you do buy it several days ahead of time, take it out of the package and place the stems in a glass of water to stay fresh.
- Spinach: I like to add spinach to pesto to give it some bulk without spending a fortune on basil. Feel free to use entirely basil if you want
- Pine Nuts: pine nuts are typically used in pesto and are known for their nutty, sweet flavor. You could use raw cashews as a sub.
- Garlic: garlic adds a nice brightness to the pesto. Garlic powder can work as a sub.
- Nutritional Yeast: nutritional yeast is a yellow yeast that has a cheesy flavor. It's the perfect substitute for cheese in many vegan recipes, like this pesto.
- Lemon Juice: fresh juice is best! You could use lime juice as a sub
- Salt & Pepper
- Water: I use water instead of oil to keep the recipe oil free. But feel free to use an equivalent amount of extra virgin olive oil
Pasta Salad Ingredients
- Pasta: I used fusilli but rotini, elbow, or any short pasta will work well. Feel free to use gluten-free pasta.
- Frozen Edamame: I love using edamame in recipes like this because it adds a solid serving of protein. Feel free to use green peas, another bean like chickpeas, or omit the beans entirely.
- Pine Nuts: for extra nutty flavor. You can use walnuts or cashews instead. For a lighter version, omit the pine nuts.
- Cherry or Grape Tomatoes: I chose yellow tomatoes for a pretty color scheme, but red tomatoes are perfectly fine. halved or quartered
- Fresh Greens: like pea shoots, microgreens, arugula, spinach, baby kale, etc. I used microgreens.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside.
Step 2. Meanwhile, make the pesto. In a food processor or small blender, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend, adding the water, until a paste comes together.
Step 3. Add the cooked pasta, cooked edamame, pine nuts, tomatoes, and greens to a large bowl. Pour on the pesto and toss well. Serve immediately or refrigerate 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Pro Tip: Chill the salad for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serving suggestions
This pasta salad is truly a meal of it's own.
Serve with your favorite mocktail and maybe a slice of garlic bread.
Storage Tips
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge
Add fresh greens just before serving for the best texture
FAQ & Expert Tips
Yes! Any rice or bean-based pasta works great.
Yes! The flavors meld even more as they sit in the fridge.
Since there are several fresh ingredients, be sure to consume within 5 days.
Chickpeas, cannellini beans, or peas make a great sub if you don't have edamame.
Recipe prayer
Thank you Lord for summer flavors and fresh produce. Let this salad be nourishing for our bodies. Amen.
More quick vegan salads
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Pesto
- 2 Cups Packed Fresh Basil
- 1 Cup Baby Spinach
- ½ Cup Pine Nuts
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Water
Pasta Salad
- 1 Pound Pasta - elbow, rotini, fusili
- 2 Cups Frozen Edamame or Peas cooked and cooled according to the package directions
- ⅓ Cup Pine Nuts
- 1 Cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved or quartered
- 1 Cup Fresh Greens - pea shoots, microgreens, arugula, spinach, baby kale, etc.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. In a food processor or small blender, add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend, adding the water, until a paste comes together.
- Add the cooked pasta, cooked edamame, pine nuts, tomatoes, and greens to a large bowl. Pour on the pesto and toss well. Serve immediately or refrigerate 30 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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