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Home » Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta

Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta

July 18, 2012 By Diane Smith 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta

With my potted basil growing like crazy and flowering, I picked a huge handful. I know that pesto usually has a lot of oil and I wondered if it could be made without it. I wasn’t disappointed with this vegan oil-free basil pesto with pasta dish!

We use miso paste which gives it a tangy, umami flavor, and also offers a nice dose of healthy probiotics. Nutritional yeast is another special edition, which enhances the “cheesy” flavor, and offers a dose of B12, an essential vitamin that should be monitored when eating plant based.

https://www.plantbasedcooking.com/recipe/quinoa-pilaf/

Basil is an herb that people love because of its fragrance and flavor, but did you know that consuming basil also offers immune protecting punch; fights cancer combats stress and depression, and acts as an antimicrobial and antiviral. It’s no wonder Italians are so happy!

Well, I can’t believe how great this recipe turned out.

Pasta with Oil-Free Pesto

Try pesto in these plant-based recipes:

  • Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto with Basil Pesto
  • Spring Asparagus, Pea, Zucchini Soup with Pesto
  • Pasta with Spinach Pesto

I served this beautiful oil-free pesto sauce over organic whole wheat pasta from Bionaturae. This pasta brand was highest rated at America’s Test Kitchen for whole wheat pasta, which has a good texture and doesn’t stick together.

Pasta with Oil-Free Pesto

If you are gluten-free, you can also opt for brown rice pasta, quinoa pasta, even a fun and exotic black bean spaghetti that started showing up on the supermarket shelves.

If you would like to leave this low carb, you can most definitely leave out the pasta. You can use spiraled zucchini, baked spaghetti squash, or just top or dip with your raw, lightly steamed or roasted veggies.

Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta

I also love using this pesto as a marinade before baking my tofu, and a spread to enhance my wrap or sandwich.

Organic Whole Wheat Bionaturae Pasta. Rated highest along taste testers.
Home grown basil

I am so excited when I find a way to recreate our favorites in a healthier way. This pesto recipe is super dynamic and is wonderful to store in a mason jar. This could keep for a good few weeks, using it in a variety of ways. This may become your go-to staple!

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Pasta with Pesto recipe! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

This recipe is Certified Plantricious because it meets the following guidelines.

"Cooking with Certified Plantricious Guidelines" seal

The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition

  • Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
  • May be minimally processed
  • No added oil
  • No added sugars
  • No artificial additives or preservatives
  • Sodium (mg) to Calories ratio, 1 ≤ 1
  • Total Fiber to Calories, 2g ≥ 100 calories

 

Pasta with Oil-Free Pesto
Print Recipe
3.89 from 9 votes

Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta

This recipe uses reduced-sodium miso paste which gives it a tangy, umami flavor, nutritional yeast and lemon which makes it delicious with any cheese or added oil.
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Servings: 4 people

Equipment

  • Lemon Squeezer
  • Food Processor

Ingredients

  • 2 cups tightly packed basil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbl light miso
  • 3 Tbl nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
  • 2-4 Tbl water more or less depending on desired consistency
  • 8 oz whole wheat pasta dry
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Blend basil, garlic, miso, nutritional yeast and pine nuts in food processor.
  • Slowly drizzle in water while machine is running to desired consistency.
  • Serve over whole wheat spaghetti adding a little pasta water if it becomes too thick.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Oil-Free Basil Pesto with Pasta
Amount per Serving
Calories
142
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
6.4
g
10
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.4
g
3
%
Sodium
 
112
mg
5
%
Carbohydrates
 
21.3
g
7
%
Fiber
 
5.2
g
22
%
Sugar
 
1.9
g
2
%
Protein
 
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
 
100
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
48
mg
58
%
Calcium
 
48
mg
5
%
Iron
 
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Tag @PlantBasedCooking on Intagram!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Frank

    January 31, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    When du u add the yeast

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      February 1, 2017 at 10:54 am

      Oops, thanks for pointing that out. I fixed it in the recipe. You add it at the start along with the other ingredients.

      Reply
  2. HH

    April 7, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    I don’t recall ever having pasta with Pesto however your recipe sounds fantastic. Gonna try it!!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      April 8, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      It’s yummy, I think you’ll like it!

      Reply
  3. Kim

    January 27, 2022 at 12:55 pm

    Are the calories correct at 269 per serving and what is the serving size? Sounds quite steep in calories.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 27, 2022 at 1:34 pm

      Hi Kim, I don’t have the exact serving size except that it’s 1/4 of the recipes. That probably doesn’t help much. I’ll be making this recipe soon so will get that measurement for you. As for the calories, I recalculated the recipe and I’m not sure why it was high, although different nutrition calculators can often give very different results. I tried a different calculator and this time the calorie count for one serving was 142 calories. I’ll update that now. I hope that helps.

      Reply

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