But seriously though, this dish is perfect for any time of the year and any meal of the day! There can be so much beauty in simplicity, and this Pesto pasta recipe is here to prove it. It uses easy to find and simple ingredients that are so quick and easy to put together yet tastes like a million bucks! Refreshingly light yet so comforting, it’s so good! I can not wait for you to try this one.

I made my own pesto for this recipe, but you can certainly used store bought as well. I would highly recommend trying my recipe though, because homemade pesto just hit differently! The flavor pops and adds so much freshness to this peso pasta.

Making your own Basil- Almond pesto

They key to amazing vegan pesto is fresh and high quality extra virgin olive oil, really fresh basil, and nutritional yeast. If you haven’t worked with nutritional yeast, I highly recommend it as a pantry ingredient to buy and store! They’re not the usual baking yeast, they’re deactivated and resemble flakes that are yellow, and taste and smell nutty and cheesy! They are the perfect substitute to make dairy free recipes taste like cheese. Added bonus: they are nutritional powerhouses! They are a great source of protein and vitamin B12. You’ll also need garlic, toasted almonds, vegan parmesan which is optional, some salt and pepper.

This is a basic basil pesto recipe, you can change it up however you like. You can use cilantro, or even arugula or broccoli, in addition to basil. You could use any kind of nuts that work for you. I also recommend using a food processor or high powered blender to make the perfect textured pesto.

Making the pesto pasta

This couldn’t be simpler to put together once you have the pesto made. I prepare some green beans and peas, blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes just until they are tender still bright green and set aside. In the same pot of water, cook your pasta per package instructions and set aside. I’ve used a red lentil penne today for extra nourishment, but you can use any pasta you’d like. Toss the pasta, veggies, and pesto all together with some pepper. And they’re ready.

While these are perfect to eat as is, I love this next step of adding crispy mushrooms. They’re a game changer!

How to make Crispy King Oyster Mushrooms

King Oyster mushrooms are hands down my favorite kind of mushrooms to cook with and eat! They’re mild in flavor making it a perfect mushroom for you even if you don’t like mushrooms! They’re texture is beautiful. They stay firm, yet become really tender when cooked and offer incredible texture and heartiness to any dish. To make them look as beautiful as they taste, I scored them so they open up when cooked and soak up any flavor they’re paired with!

Once all the components are ready, toss them all together, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes for flavors to meld together and this pesto pasta is ready to serve! They taste great served warm or room temperature.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment, pin it, and share with your people.

You can also find me on Instagram @supriyaramankitchen.