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Pesto Pasta Bake topped with plum tomatoes and served in a white bowl.
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Pesto Pasta Bake with Hidden Veg

Pesto Pasta Bake made with a delicious homemade vegan basil pesto. This fresh, zesty sauce also contains a great big handful of spinach, perfect for pint-sized Popeyes!
Course Main Course
Cuisine International, Italian
Diet Vegan
Keyword Pesto Pasta Bake, Vegan Pasta Bake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 639kcal

Ingredients

  • 180 g rigatoni pasta
  • 20 g basil leaves
  • 50 g spinach leaves
  • 1 -2 cloves garlic
  • 20 g pine nuts
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 lemon juice only
  • 40 ml olive oil
  • 10 baby plum tomatoes

To serve (optional)

  • fresh basil leaves shredded
  • grated vegan 'parmesan' style cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F
  • Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add pasta and cook for half the recommended time on the packet. Drain, keeping a cupful of the cooking water.
  • While the pasta is cooking place all the pesto ingredeints into a food processor and pulse until you have a textured sauce.
  • Stir the pesto into the cooked pasta and add enough of the resevred cooking water to make a thin sauce to coat the pasta.
  • Transfer to a baking dish, top with halved baby plum tomatoes and bake for 10 - 15 minutes until piping hot and the tomatoes are just soft.
  • Serve topped with shredded fresh basil leaves and a little homemade or grated shop bought vegan 'parmesan' style cheese (see my blog post for more information)

Notes

Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.
Do read my post for additional tips and tricks!

Nutrition

Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 809mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3299IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 4mg