Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Cilantro Pesto Pasta

I find myself making this pasta every once a week because it’s so comforting, easy to prepare, and tastes so good.

Nutritional yeast (nooch) complements the raw garlicky flavor and cilantro gives a burst of freshness to this dish.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I rarely use weird ingredients in my recipe. This one is no different. The ingredients are really simple and easy to assemble.

The cooking process is equally easy. Just blend the ingredients to make a paste, boil the pasta, drain, and mix them up. I also sauteed cherry tomatoes and cooked them with the pasta.

That’s it, cilantro pesto pasta is ready. Now let’s make one!

5 from 2 votes

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Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Quick and easy vegan cilantro pesto pasta recipe by Veganbell.

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cilantro pesto pasta, pesto pasta, vegan pesto pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 732 kcal

Author Veganbell

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds (roasted)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pasta
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pasta water

Instructions

1. In a food processor, add cilantro + garlic + roasted sunflower seeds + nutritional yeast + salt + pepper + lemon juice.

2. Process until the mixture turns grainy. Gradually add olive oil and continue processing until it starts to turn smooth. Set aside.

3. Set a saucepan over high heat. Add 4 cups water + salt. Once it's hot, add pasta and cook for 12-15 minutes over medium heat (refer cooking time in the package of your pasta). Drain and set aside. Save 1/4 cup pasta water.

4. Set a saute pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Once it's hot, add whole cherry tomatoes and saute until the skins start to wilt (about 1-2 minutes). 

5. Turn down the heat to low. Add cooked pasta + cilantro pesto + 1/4 cup pasta water. Mix well. 

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Cilantro Pesto Pasta

Amount Per Serving (1 person)

Calories 732 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 1209mg53%

Potassium 682mg19%

Carbohydrates 59g20%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 905IU18%

Vitamin C 23.9mg29%

Calcium 75mg8%

Iron 3.7mg21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out this Kidney Bean Burger I posted earlier. If you enjoy my blog, do check out my Instagram.

Thanks for stopping by! 🙂