Recipe for Vegan Pesto Pasta – 20 Minute Make-Ahead Meal

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It’s summer in Southern California. 

So it’s hot.

And it’s even hotter when you have to cook a warm meal in a warm kitchen.

Which is sort of how this recipe for vegan pesto pasta became a go-to make-ahead meal for hot nights.

In this post, you’ll notice that this recipe can also be made whole-food, plant-based. And we included this in our meal plans for week 1 and week 2 when we followed a WFPB diet.

Ready to dig into a refreshing, tasty, 20-minutes-or-less summer vegan meal?

Let’s get started!

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Ingredients for vegan pesto pasta

You can get creative with this pasta salad. So don’t limit yourself to what our family includes. But this is what the kids enjoy eating, so it’s a crowd-pleaser at our house. 

I use lentil or vegetable pasta if I can find it. If not, I’ll go with whole wheat pasta. Once the pasta is cooked and cooled, we add sliced black olives, halved grape or cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and garbanzo beans.

The vegan pesto sauce is made up of surprisingly few ingredients too. So many pesto recipes include pine nuts. Which I never have on hand. So I love that this pesto includes cashews. Because our house never has a shortage of those.

Alongside cashews, you’ll need basil, lemon juice, water (and oil if you aren’t opposed to it), garlic, and salt.

How to make this recipe for vegan pesto

I start this make-ahead meal by boiling the water for the pasta. 

While that heats up, I drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Then add them to a large bowl. Next, I drain and rinse the olives and slice them if they aren’t pre-sliced. Then I wash and chop the cucumber into small wedges. Next, I rinse the grape tomatoes and cut them in halves. Finally, I add all the ingredients to the large bowl with the garbanzo beans.

If the water is boiling, I start cooking the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, I start on the pesto sauce. I add cashews, minced garlic (or garlic cloves depending on what I have on hand), lemon juice, and salt to a blender. Then I break off the basil leaves and place those in the blender. If I’m going for a whole-food, plant-based meal, I add only water in the next step. But if I want the pasta to last longer in the fridge, and not thicken as much, I halve the amount of water and replace it with oil and add both to the blender. 

I give it a few whirls on the smoothie setting on my blender until it gets creamy.

If the pasta is done, I transfer it to a colander and run cold water over it. Once the pasta is cooled off and drained, I add it to the large bowl. 

Then I pour the sauce over the pasta, and voila! Vegan pesto pasta!

The best way to eat this make-ahead meal

Is this vegan dinner (or lunch) better cold or room temperature? 

Honestly, both are delicious and a practical summer vegan meal option.

If I make this recipe for vegan pesto pasta earlier in the day and package it properly, it keeps perfectly in the refrigerator for a chilled dinner—and even the next day for a leftover lunch.

Or, if I don’t have time during the day and end up making this in the evening, everyone enjoys it at room temperature too.

It can keep in the refrigerator for about a week if it’s tightly sealed.

And while I haven’t tried freezing it, I think it would freeze just fine in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.

Whether you’re planning this as a make-ahead lunch, or an easy vegan dinner, you can’t go wrong!

Want more vegan meals?

If this sounds tasty, check out these easy vegan family favorites!

• 10-Ingredient Vegan Chili
• Vegan BBQ Ideas – Beyond Burger Recipe
• Vegan Artichoke Dipping Sauce
• Vegan Lunches for Kids