Quick and Easy Vegan Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Tender noodles, vegan chicken, cashew cream, and a garlicky, kale pesto sauce combine to make the perfect pasta. Plus, it all comes together in less than 20 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights when you need a quick dinner!
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Pasta
- 8 Ounces Plant-Based Chicken
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Kale Pesto
- 2 Large Kale Leaves, Stems Removed
- ¼ Cup Packed Basil
- ¼ Cup Pine Nuts
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Large Garlic Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
Cashew Cream
- ½ Cup Cashews
- 1 ¼ Cup Reserved Pasta Water
- ¼ Cup Vegan Parmesan
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside, making sure to reserve 1¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Prepare kale pesto while your pasta is cooking. Place kale, basil, and pine nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and pulse several more times, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. While the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil.
- Make the cashew cream by blending all ingredients in a high-speed blender until super creamy. If you're not using a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for at least 20 minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vegan chicken and sauté until browned and heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Add kale pesto, cashew cream, and chicken to pasta and stir to coat. Serve with extra vegan parmesan, cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes!
Nutrition
Calories: 361kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 156mgPotassium: 320mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1465IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg
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