Vegan Arugula Pesto Parmesan Pasta! Packed with nutritious greens and bold flavors, this simple recipe is a fantastic way to enjoy a wholesome meal without sacrificing taste or time.

Looking for a fresh, vibrant, and effortless dinner idea? Look no further than this irresistible Vegan Arugula Pesto Parmesan Pasta! Made with a delicious ‘no-cook’ arugula pesto sauce, this dish is the perfect quick meal—simply toss the flavorful pesto with hot pasta, and you’re good to go. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s an ideal weeknight dinner for busy nights when you crave something healthy, tasty, and satisfying. Whether you’re a busy parent, a health-conscious foodie, or just looking for a delicious new pasta idea, this dish will quickly become a favorite in your rotation.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

And I have to tell you—my dad went absolutely crazy over this vegan arugula pesto pasta! He couldn’t get enough of it and kept begging us to make it over and over again. As an arugula lover, he was in heaven with this fresh, zesty pesto that’s so easy to whip up.

Trust me, you gotta give this one a try—your family will thank you, and you’ll love how quick and satisfying it is to make!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This Vegan Arugula Pesto Parmesan Pasta is full of a delicious ‘no-cook’ arugula pesto sauce that works perfectly with hot pasta. Fast, easy, and within 20 minutes, this simple, tasty, and healthy pasta dish can be whipped up for a quick weeknight meal.
• Sauce Flavor: The sauce only takes 5 minutes to make. The pesto sauce is packed with peppery arugula flavors. The sauce does not require cooking. The freshly made hot pasta lightly cooks (warms) the pesto sauce; however, if you prefer to heat it up, you totally can.  If you are not a fan of arugula, then consider skipping this recipe.
• Health Benefits of Arugula: Arugula is considered a superfood. Arugula is full of health benefits due to its rich nutritional profile, including vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It may help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline, while also supporting bone health and potentially lowering blood pressure. It is packed with vitamins A, C, and K as well as minerals like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. It improves liver function and has anti-inflammatory compounds. The lemon juice in this recipe promotes the absorption of all the healthy benefits.
• Baby Arugula: Use baby arugula rather than mature arugula. Those tender baby arugula leaves are perfect for this dish.
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese: We used our Vegan Parmesan Cheese. It has an amazing flavor and is well balanced. Feel free to use your favorite Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe. The vegan parmesan cheese really elevates the dish to the next level and completes the dish. We do not recommend leaving it out.
• Gluten Free Pasta: Feel free to use your favorite gluten free pasta in this dish.
• Cashew Substitutions: You can try the typical substitutions like silken tofu, white beans, or other nuts or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will be impacted accordingly. We have not tested any substitutions.
• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.  Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
• Amount of Sea Salt: Our family was completely divided over the amount of sea salt that was used in this recipe.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
• Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers (sauce) will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered air-tight container.

The sauce can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.  Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Large stockpot (to boil the pasta)
• High-Speed blender

If you try this bold sauce, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Arugula Pesto Parmesan Pasta

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 5 Minutes
• Cook Time: 10 Minutes (Pasta)
• Total Time: 15 Minutes
• Yield: 1.5 Cups 1x
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Looking for a fresh, vibrant, and effortless dinner idea? Look no further than this irresistible Vegan Arugula Pesto Parmesan Pasta!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Pesto Sauce Ingredients:

• ½ cup [raw] cashews *
• 2 oz. fresh baby arugula (2 packed cups) *
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• ¼ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *

Other Ingredients:

• Cooked pasta (of choice)

Toppings:

• Vegan Parmesan Cheese *

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Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, allow to soak for 15 minutes, then discard the water.
3. Place the soaked and drained cashews into a high-speed blender along with all the remaining Pesto Sauce Ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified, occasionally scrape down the sides.
4. Plate the hot pasta in a bowl, pour some of the Pesto Sauce over top of the hot pasta and mix well, then serve topped with a generous sprinkle of Vegan Parmesan Cheese.

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Notes

Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.   

Servings:  4 (1.5 Cups)

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