This Summer Fettuccine with basil pesto and cherry tomatoes is a dream for pasta lovers! Light, flavorful, and easy to make, it’s the perfect meal for lunch or dinner—fresh, healthy, and absolutely delicious.
The season of basil is here and I was finally able to make delicious pesto first time this year. I have made pesto many times in the past but every time I make it I alternate the recipe a little. For example last year I made the pesto for ZOODLES WITH TEMPEH and QUINOA ZUCCHINI BOATS with avocado.
For this new Summer Fettuccine, I used pumpkin seeds, although pine nuts are used in traditional pesto recipes. However, they are very expensive, therefore I did an experiment. I know walnuts are fine too, so you could try them if you like. Nevertheless, I really like how it turned out with the pumpkin seeds, besides, they are highly nutritious and cost-effective. And who wouldn’t like that?
Also, the authentic recipe is made with Parmesan, well, it is Italian, so that is no surprise! Now, if you are wondering how pesto can be made vegan, the answer is straightforward “Easy.” The Nutritional Yeast will do the trick because it’s very cheesy and also healthy. I use it all the time, especially in dressings, vegan cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese recipes. For example in the recipe for VEGGIE SMOKED SALMON.
Did you make Pesto before? It’s funny though, that I never made it before I became vegan. And that applies to many other traditional meals I have on my blog. For some reason, I took a bigger interest in converting traditional cuisine to vegan, than just cooking it. I used to dine in restaurants quite often, enjoying Italian, Asian food & Mediterranean food. But I never thought of cooking it at home, although I was always a pretty good cook. I was just cooking mostly our Eastern European dishes and also some German.
If you have experience with veganizing your favorite dish, I would love to read about it. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderful week. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment!
SUMMER FETTUCCINE: Your Easy Steps to a Vibrant Italian-Inspired Meal!
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- Brown rice fettuccine or pasta of your choice
- Cherry tomatoes on vine (or tomatoes of your choice_
- FOR THE PESTO
- 2 cups fresh basil thick stems remove
- ¼ cup pine nuts, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds if you are on the budget.
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Garlic powder to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Himalayan pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Blend all the pesto ingredients in a food processor, starting with the pumpkin seeds and gradually adding the rest. It is okay if the texture will remain little bit chunky.
- Cook the pasta by following the instructions on the package.
- When ready, mix with the pesto, by blending in gradually, until all pasta is fully covered.
- Top with fresh or grilled cherry tomatoes and serve.
