Red Pesto Pasta

5 from 73 votes

This red pesto pasta combines a homemade roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomato pesto sauce (pesto rosso) with pasta. Serve it with your plant protein/veg of choice for a delicious and nutritious, low-fuss meal that comes together in just 15 minutes!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: to 6

Calories: 642kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar of whole roasted red peppers)
1 cup of fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes drained
1 (12.3-ounces) box of silken tofu
3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of olive oil optional
3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast optional
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes optional
Parsley chopped
1 pound of pasta of choice

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor (except the pasta) and process until smooth. When the desired consistency is reached, set aside.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and quickly bring the hot pasta back to the pot.
Immediately add the red pesto and mix well.
Serve immediately to enjoy hot.

Notes

Note: To serve cold, cook the pasta first and allow it to cool while the pesto is being made.

- Adjust the texture by watching the processor to blend the sun-dried tomato and red pepper pesto recipe to your desired consistency (i.e., slightly chunky or smooth).

- Make the pesto ahead when possible by leaving it to ‘marinate’ even just for an hour (though overnight is better) to help the flavors meld and enhance.

- Al dente vs. tender pasta: For warm pasta, cook it al dente. However, for cold red pesto pasta salad (especially if you plan to meal-prep it), cook it until it’s tender, as the refrigerator will make it tougher.

- For extra flavor: Lightly toast the nuts/seeds until aromatic before making the sun-dried tomato pesto.

Nutrition