This filling, wholesome and delicious creamy pesto rigatoni recipe is so easy you will want to make it all summer long! Whip up the pesto sauce without effort and serve dinner in under 30 minutes, the perfect weeknight dinner everyone will love. 100% vegan and dairy-free.
If you like creamy pesto dishes as much as I do, then I'm sure you will LOVE this creamy pesto rigatoni recipe.
Pesto is the perfect gourmet yet easy creamy pasta sauce that can be whipped up within 5 minutes and that bursts with lots of flavors. Here it is served with chewy rigatoni pasta and super simple + easy roasted tomatoes, although you can roast any vegetables for a delicious summer veggie pesto pasta meal.
I made the pesto sauce using both cashews and pine nuts, which gives the sauce such a perfect texture, but you can also use only cashews or only pine nuts if you prefer. It is somehow like combining this cashew pesto and this pasta al pesto classic recipe, you should try it!
This is such a versatile and easy weeknight dinner recipe everyone will love!
Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy pesto dinner recipe that can be done within 30 minutes!
- Pack with fresh flavor
- Versatile: add any veggies that you already have or like
- Perfect summer dish for BBQs, potlucks and picnics
- Great to meal prep ahead for quick lunches
- Vegan and dairy-free, plus can be made oil-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Rigatoni: or any tubular short noodles, such as ziti or penne, are best for this recipe.
- Cashews + Pine nuts: look for unroasted cashews without added salt, which is best for blending and making sauces.
- Fresh basil: Genovese or sweet basil is the classic kind of basil for making pesto, although you can use any kind that you have or like. I used 2 packed cups of fresh basil to make this recipe extra flavorful, but if you don't have as much, then add some baby spinach.
- Nutritional yeast: a perfect dairy-free addition to vegan pesto for a mild cheesy taste.
- Lemon juice: brightens up the flavor and helps keep a vibrant color to the pesto.
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil VS water: I like to use about 2-4 tablespoons of oil to make pesto, and then I add water until it reaches the desired consistency. That way, the pesto is saucy and creamy without being too oily. But, you can use 100% oil or 100% water depending on what you are looking for.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- Feel free to use 100% pine nuts or 100% cashews, or even throw in some walnuts (check out this vegan walnut pesto recipe!). I often vary the type of nuts that I use and more often than not, I use a mix.
- Also don't hesitate to add in other fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro or even mint, depending on what you have.
- Leafy greens (such as baby spinach, arugula or baby kale) can also be included when making pesto sauce for a boost in color and nutrients. Check out this blended creamy pesto spinach sauce for inspiration.
- Roast other veggies, such as zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, carrots and sweet potatoes.
- Add more protein by including tofu (this smoky tofu and this blackened tofu would be great!), pan-fried tempeh, steamed edamame or white beans (like cannellini beans or chickpeas).
🍽 How to make creamy pesto rigatoni
Step 1: Cook the pasta al dente, then reserve some pasta cooking water to use for the sauce later. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Meanwhile, add the cherry tomatoes to a dish with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 450ºF for 10-15 minutes or until they start to burst.
Step 3: Add the garlic to a food processor and process until broken down. Add the pine nuts and cashews and process until crumbly. Add the basil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt, then keep processing until mostly uniform. Scrape the side and bottom and then process again while pouring the olive oil. Do the same with a little water until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste to adjust seasoning and set aside.
Step 4: Transfer the cooked pasta back to the pot and pour the pesto sauce over. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water.
Step 5: Stir until creamy and taste to adjust salt/lemon/nutritional yeast to your taste. Warm up on low-medium heat until heated through.
Step 6: Serve garnished with the roasted tomatoes and more pine nuts. Add a squeeze of lemon juice for more fresh flavor.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Helpful tips
- While the pasta is cooking, roast extra pine nuts in a pan on medium heat (no oil) until golden brown. Shake the pan often so they don't burn. It makes for the perfect garnish!
- Adjust the texture of the creamy pesto sauce by adding some more water or oil to the food processor. I like to start with ¼ cup of olive oil, then add water in a tiny stream at a time until the sauce is creamy and pourable.
- Don't forget to keep to keep some pasta cooking water, it helps create a luscious creamy sauce when combining with the pasta!
❗️ Storage tips
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You might want to add a little extra water before reheating for a creamier result. To reheat, use the microwave or the stove.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
🌱 More vegan pesto recipes you might like
I hope you like this pesto rigatoni recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Pesto Rigatoni with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- drizzle olive oil - optional, to roast the tomatoes
- salt and pepper - to taste
For the pesto sauce
- 2 cups fresh basil
- ½ cup raw cashews - unsalted and unroasted, see notes
- ¼ cup pine nuts - see notes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast - or ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup high-quality olive oil - or replace with more water for an oil-free recipe
- water - enough to reach the desired consistency
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water. When the noodles are almost done, reserve some of the cooking water for later, then drain and set aside.
- Transfer the cherry tomatoes to an oven-safe dish, drizzle a little olive oil over and sprinkle salt and pepper. Stir and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst. The tomatoes can also be roasted in a pan on the stove!
- To a food processor, add the garlic and process until broken down. Add the pine nuts and cashews and process until crumbly. Add the basil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt and keep processing until it forms a uniform thick paste. Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom.
- Then, keep processing while pouring the olive oil. Repeat with water (a thin stream at a time) until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste to adjust seasonings and set aside.
- Transfer the cooked pasta back to the pot and pour the pesto sauce over. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water and stir until creamy. Add more water as needed and taste to adjust flavors.
- Serve the creamy pesto garnished with roasted tomatoes and some more pine nuts. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Feel free to use 100% pine nuts or 100% cashews, or even throw in some walnuts (check out this vegan walnut pesto recipe!). I often vary the type of nuts that I use and more often than not, I use a mix.
- While the pasta is cooking, roast extra pine nuts in a pan on medium heat (no oil) until golden brown. Shake the pan often so they don't burn. It makes for the perfect garnish!
- Adjust the texture of the creamy pesto sauce by adding some more water or oil to the food processor. I like to start with ¼ cup of olive oil, then add water in a tiny stream at a time until the sauce is creamy and pourable.
- Don't forget to keep to keep some pasta cooking water, it helps create a luscious creamy sauce when combining with the pasta!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
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