This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

A super easy penne pasta dish made with basil cashew pesto, asparagus and red bell pepper. A great, quick meal for weeknights. Vegan Recipe. Jump to Recipe

A super easy penne pasta dish made with basil cashew pesto, asparagus and red bell pepper. A great, quick meal for weeknights. Vegan Recipe. #veganricha #vegan

Pictured above with broccoli and tomatoes. Pictured below with red bell pepper, asparagus and tomatoes.

I got a bunch of organic basil the other day and was thinking of ways to use it up.. Well, whats better than some fresh basil pesto sauce in pasta!

 
The pesto is Vegan with cashews. Pesto usually has parmesan cheese in it, but try this vegan one and you will not miss the cheese!. I used asparagus and red bell pepper as the vegetable additions. You can try some other veggies as well.
 
Below pic, some fresh hot pasta on hubbs home office desk!
 
 
 
 
Yumm Yumm!

Penne with Basil Cashew Pesto, Asparagus and Red Bell Pepper

No ratings yet
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Vegan
A super easy penne pasta dish made with basil cashew pesto, asparagus and red bell pepper. A great, quick meal for weeknights. Vegan Recipe.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 cup penne cooked according to instructions
  • 7-8 asparagus spears, halved
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into rings
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • chopped tomatoes, for garnish

For the basil cashew pesto

  • 2 cups fresh basil
  • 1/2 cup raw cashew
  • olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 green chili or dried red chili pepper, (we like a bit of spice)
  • salt to taste

Instructions 

  • For the pesto, wash the basil and add to blender and blend for a minute
  • In a small pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Keep at low heat and add garlic cloves and green chili. Let cook for a minute.
  • Add in the cashews and let cook for another minute or 2.
  • Add this mixture to the blender and blend. Keep adding olive oil to get a smooth paste. My blender always gets me a coarse paste, so I added a little water as well, since I was going to use up the pesto within the week, or freeze it in ice cubes! Adjust chilis, garlic and basil by taste. This pesto is very forgiving, so play with it!. For basil mint pesto, I use about half cup mint.
  • In a large pan, add regular oil and the halved/sliced asparagus(for quicker cooking) and saute for 5-8 minutes on medium low heat.
  • Add in the garlic and red bell pepper rings and olive oil and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Add in the cooked penne or any pasta of choice and pesto and mix well.
  • Adjust for salt and pepper. We needed just a teeny bit of salt.
  • Let cook for a minute.
  • Serve hot topped with fresh chopped tomatoes!

Notes

Nutritional value is based on 1 serving

Nutrition

Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 86mg, Potassium: 603mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 2620IU, Vitamin C: 50.5mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
 

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online and I love hearing from you all!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

4 Comments

  1. Moni says:

    Hello. My son is allergic to cashew. Can I add almonds instead? or What else would work for Basil pesto?

  2. arati kadav says:

    just curious – what is written on the paper below the plate that has a fork ?

    Btw thanks for the super recipe – have tweeted it in my twitter account and Saurabh is all set to buy the ingredients 🙂