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5 from 9 votes

Vegan Kale Pesto Pasta

Vegan Kale Pesto Pasta is oil-free, full of fresh healthy ingredients, whole foods & full of delicious flavor. It is the perfect vegan pesto pasta!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Gluten-free, Vegan
Keyword: vegan kale pesto, oil-free pesto, vegan pesto
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 417.5kcal
Author: Brandi Doming

Ingredients

  • 1 10 oz bag of frozen peas (280g which is 1 3/4 full cups)
  • 1/2 cup (120g) water
  • 4-5 large garlic cloves, minced (lots of flavor here, don't skimp!)
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) dark red balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh lemon juice
  • 5 oz BABY kale (I buy the 5 oz package, prewashed and ready to eat. Use spinach if you cannot find the baby kale. Do NOT use regular curly kale, it is too strong and fibrous here & does not taste good.)
  • 12 oz pasta of choice (use gluten-free if needed)
  • optional: chopped walnuts as garnish

NOTE

  • Due to the large amount of peas, this DOES have a sweetness to it, so expect that. If that doesn't sound like your thing, then make the spinach pea pesto linked above in the post, it has half the amount of peas.

Instructions

  • Prepare the pasta according to package directions and make sure to salt your pasta water well. While it is cooking follow the next steps.
  • Add the peas, 1/2 cup water, garlic, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper to a large pan and turn the heat to medium. You are NOT adding the lemon juice yet. Cook for 5-10 minutes until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. 
  • Add the cooked mixture to a food processor with the lemon juice and kale, in batches, until pureed and completely smooth, as in the photo. Add the warm pasta water to reach desired consistency. I added about 2 more tablespoons of water. Taste and add any additional seasoning, if desired. For more acidity, add more vinegar or lemon juice. Serve over pasta.

Notes

*Gluten-free, oil-free, vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, nut-free if leave off the walnuts garnish
*Nutrition stats below are per serving with pasta (1 cup = 1 serving)
*Nutrition on just the pesto: 102.5 calories, .25 g fat, 8 g protein, 18 carbs

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 417.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 85.5g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3.25g