This is a blender pesto pasta built around sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, toasted pine nuts, and nutritional yeast — ready in about 30 minutes. The pesto is thick, tangy, and clings well to ridged or tubular pasta shapes. It’s a reliable weeknight dinner that also holds up well for lunch the next day.
The short version of why this works
Two things drive this recipe. First, toasting the pine nuts before blending — even just two or three minutes in a dry pan — pulls out oils that make the pesto taste noticeably richer and less flat. Second, the nutritional yeast is doing real work here, not just standing in for cheese. It adds glutamates that give the sauce depth and a slightly savory finish that rounds out the acidity of the tomatoes. Without it, the pesto tastes sharp and one-dimensional. Those two steps are worth not skipping.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes straight from the bag. They need to be rehydrated in warm water for 10–15 minutes first, or the pesto will be gritty and too intense. Oil-packed tomatoes can go in directly — just drain them.
- Over-blending the pesto. Stop blending while there’s still some texture. A fully smooth paste loses the slight chew from the nuts and the body that helps the sauce cling to pasta.
- Not reserving pasta water. The pesto is thick. A splash of starchy pasta water loosens it and helps it coat every piece evenly without turning oily.
- Adding the pesto to a dry, hot pan. Pull the pan off the heat or turn it to low before stirring in the pesto. High direct heat breaks the olive oil and makes the sauce greasy.
- Under-salting the pasta water. Sun-dried tomato pesto is bold, but it can’t compensate for bland pasta. The water should taste noticeably salty before the pasta goes in.
About the ingredients
- Nutritional yeast: Look for it in the bulk or natural foods section. Brands vary in intensity — start with the amount in the recipe and taste before adding more.
- Pine nuts: Expensive and worth it for the flavor, but sunflower seeds work as a nut-free swap with a slightly earthier result. Skip the garnish of extra whole pine nuts on top — not worth the extra dish.
- Pasta shape: Penne, fusilli, or rigatoni hold this sauce better than spaghetti or linguine. The ridges and tubes trap the pesto instead of letting it slide off.
- Adding protein: Stir in a drained can of white beans or chickpeas when you combine the pasta and pesto. They absorb the sauce, add about 15g of protein per serving, and make this a complete meal without changing the flavor profile.
Keeping and reheating
Leftover pasta keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pesto will absorb further into the pasta overnight, so add a small splash of water or olive oil when reheating on the stovetop over low heat — this brings it back without drying it out. The pesto on its own (unmixed with pasta) keeps for up to 5 days refrigerated with a thin layer of olive oil pressed over the surface to prevent browning. Freezing the finished pasta is not ideal; the texture of the pesto turns grainy after thawing. Freeze the pesto alone in a small jar or ice cube tray if you want to make it ahead in larger batches — it thaws well within a few hours at room temperature.
Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Equipment
- Food processor or high-speed blender
- Large pot
- Skillet
- Colander
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta (penne or fusilli) preferably bronze-cut for better sauce adhesion
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, oil reserved
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- ¼ cup raw pine nuts plus extra for garnish
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil use reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes for added flavor
- ¼ cup water or more as needed to adjust pesto consistency
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves loosely packed
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, toasted pine nuts, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, basil, salt, and pepper. Pulse several times to start breaking it down.
- With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and water. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired.
- Toss the freshly drained pasta with the pesto, adding a splash of reserved pasta water to help coat the noodles evenly and create a slight creaminess. Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice if needed.
- Plate immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves, a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts, and optional cracked pepper. Serve warm.
Notes
- For a nut-free version, substitute sunflower seeds for pine nuts.
- Add sautéed mushrooms or spinach for extra nutrients and texture.
- Leftover pesto keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be used as a sandwich spread or dip.
Nutrition
Your questions, answered
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use any certified gluten-free pasta in the same quantity and cook it according to the package directions. The pesto itself contains no gluten, so no other changes are needed.
How do I get more protein into this dish without changing the flavor?
Stir a drained, rinsed can of white beans or chickpeas directly into the pasta when you add the pesto. They take on the sauce flavor and add roughly 14–15 grams of protein per serving. Shelled edamame is another option that blends in without standing out.
My pesto came out too thick and pasty — what went wrong?
It likely needs more liquid — add olive oil one tablespoon at a time while blending, or use a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water when tossing. If you used dry-packed tomatoes without rehydrating them, that will also make the paste denser than intended.
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