Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta

5 from 5 votes

Tender penne pasta is drenched in a silky dairy-free pesto sauce and tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and peppery arugula to make this easy vegan pesto pasta! It's rich, packed with fresh flavor, and comes together in a flash with minimal prep work.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

10 ounces dried penne pasta, or pasta of choice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
1 ¼ cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 cup vegan pesto (or to taste — Note 1)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups fresh arugula, packed
½ cup Kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons lemon juice (omit or reduce if your pesto contains lemon)
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente (do not overcook). Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta into a colander when done.
While the pasta cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Let the oil heat up for a minute, then add the flour. Stir the flour and oil together and cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly and begins to smell nutty.
Stir in the coconut milk and other non-dairy milk. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until it thickens up a bit.
Stir in the pesto and cherry tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for 1 minute, until the tomatoes start to soften.
Remove the pot from heat and immediately stir in the pasta, arugula, olives, and lemon juice. Stir until the arugula just starts to wilt. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a few splashes of the reserved pasta water.
Taste-test and season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste.
Divide onto plates and serve.

Notes

This recipe goes heavy on the pesto, and store-bought pesto in particular can be pretty intense. If you're not sure how much you want, start with less and add more to taste when the dish is finished.

Nutrition