- Prep-time: / Ready In:
- Makes 8 cups
- Serving size: 2 cups
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A lively cilantro-spinach pesto, tossed with tender fettuccine, sweet carrot ribbons, and zesty red onion, brings a fresh spin to pasta night. Our easy vegan pesto combines fresh cilantro and spinach with pistachios, lime, nutritional yeast, and garlic for layers of flavor that are both bold and refreshing. The gentle warmth of the pasta softens the veggies just enough, creating a colorful, nutrient-packed dish that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Nutrition win: Yes, pasta can be healthy as well as delicious! This dish delivers 19 grams of protein per serving—about the same as a 3-ounce steak—and 16 grams of fiber, which is excellent for reducing inflammation and lowering your risk for chronic conditions, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Tips
Carrot ribbons: Use a vegetable peeler to shave carrots into ribbons. Alternatively, you can use a spiralizer to cut carrots into spirals.
Gluten-free version: To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free linguine or fettuccine.
For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:
Ingredients
- 12 oz. dry whole grain linguine or fettuccine
- 2 large carrots (8 oz. total), shaved lengthwise into ribbons (see tip, recipe intro)
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced (¾ cup)
- 3 cups packed fresh cilantro
- 1 cup packed fresh spinach
- ½ cup unsalted pistachios
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Toss pasta with carrots and onion.
- For pesto, in a food processor combine the remaining ingredients. Process until nearly smooth, adding 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time as needed to achieve desired consistency and stopping to scrape down sides of processor.
- Add pesto to pasta mixture; toss to combine. Thin with reserved pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Serve warm.
Per serving (2 cups): 425 calories, 76 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 356 mg sodium, 16 g fiber, 7 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
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