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    Home » Recipes » Comfort Food

    Dairy free pesto

    Published: Apr 27, 2021 · Modified: Oct 29, 2022 by Maria · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy vegan pesto pasta

    Fresh, fragrant and delicious dairy free pesto pasta for an easy weeknight meal. Made with basil, lemon, garlic, salt, pine nuts and olive oil. Put it on pasta, roasted vegetables or sandwiches.

    Pesto pasta on a white plate with roasted brussels sprouts
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    Ingredients

    It’s never been easier to make a dairy free pesto sauce. This basil pesto only requires seven easy to find ingredients:

    1. Fresh basil
    2. Pine nuts
    3. Lemon juice
    4. Vegan parmesan cheese – you can also use nutritional yeast if you can’t find vegan cheese. My favorite is Violife. They have an amazing parmesan cheese. Just grate it to prepare it for this recipe.
    5. Extra virgin olive oil
    6. Fresh garlic
    7. Salt

    This recipe is

    • flavorful
    • vegan
    • gluten free
    • quick and easy
    • dairy free

    Helpful tips

    To stop the pesto from turning brown if exposed to air, you can quickly blanche the basil leaves in boiling water for one second, then put them in ice water before adding to the food processor.

    For a different and more deep flavor, try using roasted garlic instead of raw garlic. Just roast it with some olive oil in the oven until soft.

    Lightly toasting the pine nuts on the stove for a few minutes also makes this pesto taste delicious.

    Specialty tools

    The only tool you will need to make this is a food processor. If you don’t have one, you can also use a blender, but you will need to stop every now and then and scrape the pesto from the sides.

    You can also use a mortar and pestle which is how I’ve seen some Italians make it.

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    How to use pesto

    Jar of dairy free pesto with ingredients in the background

    My favorite way to use pesto is on pasta. After straining the pasta, make sure to save a quarter cup of the pasta water. Then add as much pesto sauce to the pasta as you’d like. Mix it in with a little pasta water for more flavor.

    I also love putting pesto over roasted vegetables, in wraps and sandwiches and stirred into hummus.

    Are you a busy vegan? Click here to download my FREE Guide "Effortless Vegan Cooking: Time and Money Saving Hacks You Need to Know"!

    It also tastes good in vegan ricotta cheese. Check out these vegan pesto ricotta stuffed shells.

    Storing tips

    This pesto will last in the fridge, in an airtight container for a week. Make sure to use an airtight container because the pesto will turn brown if exposed to air.

    You can also freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray overnight. Once it’s frozen, add the pesto cubes to a freezer friendly ziploc bag or a silicone reusable freezer bag. It will last in the freezer for 3-6 months.

    Can I use other nuts?

    Yes, this pesto also tastes good with raw almonds, walnuts or cashews.

    How to make this nut free

    If you’re allergic to nuts you can also use sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for a nut free pesto.

    You can also skip any nuts or seeds altogether and make what the French call “pistou“. They then add this into a vegetable and white bean soup called soup au pistou.

    More recipes you’ll like

    • Vegan chicken alfredo
    • Vegan smoked gouda mac and cheese
    • Easy seitan recipe
    • Dairy free mac and cheese
    • Vegan stuffed shells
    • Homemade vegan pasta
    • Dairy free lasagna
    • Vegan ricotta cheese

    📖 Recipe

    A plate of vegan pesto pasta with roasted vegetables

    Dairy free pesto pasta

    Bright, aromatic and delicious dairy free pesto sauce. Goes great on pasta for an easy weeknight dinner idea.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 tablespoon servings
    Calories: 101kcal
    Author: Maria
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    Equipment

    • Food processor

    Ingredients

    US Customary or Metric
    • 2 cups fresh basil (tightly packed)
    • ½ cup pine nuts (or raw walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, or hemp seeds. )
    • 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • ½ cup vegan parmesan (shredded or nutritional yeast)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt (add more if needed)
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    • Remove the basil from the stems and add to food processor
    • Add pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt and vegan parmesan cheese and pulse
    • While the food processor is blending, pour in the olive oil
    • Taste and add more salt if needed. If it's too acidic, add more vegan cheese, if it's too thick, add more olive oil or a splash of water.
    • Add to cooked and drained pasta with ¼ cup of pasta water and top with more vegan parmesan cheese. Also goes well on roasted vegetables, sandwiches or in hummus.

    Notes

    To store, put in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to a week. Make sure the container is airtight because pesto will turn a dark brown color if exposed to air. 
    You can also freeze the pesto in an ice cube tray. Once the cubes are frozen, seal them in a freezer friendly ziploc bag in the freezer. 
    Try using roasted garlic instead of raw garlic for a deeper flavor or if raw garlic upsets your stomach. You can also gently toast the pine nuts on the stove for a more unique flavor. 
    You can also quickly blanche the basil leaves before adding to the food processor so the pesto maintains a bright green color. 
    If you’re allergic to nuts you can use sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas) for a nut free pesto.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @DamnTastyVegan or tag #DamnTastyVegan!

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    If you liked this recipe, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board by clicking the image below

    Vegan pesto in a glass jar with ingredients in the background and text overlay for pinterest.

    Dairy free pesto

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    About Maria

    Maria is the creator of the blog and YouTube channel Damn Tasty Vegan. She has been a vegetarian since 2005 and vegan since 2015. She loves showing new vegans how easy and delicious living a vegan lifestyle can be. She is passionate about animal welfare and strives to help change the way animals are viewed and treated, by helping people transition to a vegan lifestyle.

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    Hi, I'm Maria Rose! I'm a professional singer by night, and recipe developer by day. I run this blog and am also the creator of the One Month (30 minute) Meal Plan. I love helping people learn how to cook easy and delicious plant based meals.

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