A creamy, cheesy, basil-y cashew pesto pasta bake is an easy, weeknight meal that's absolutely packed with flavor.
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This creamy vegan cashew pesto pasta is super simple to make! The blended sauce combines with pasta, white beans, and spinach in a simple casserole with only about 15 minutes of active cooking time.
Traditional pesto is made by grinding pine nuts with basil, olive oil, garlic, lemon, and Parmesan cheese. This offbeat cashew nut pesto pasta delivers that same flavor using more affordable cashews instead, and you make the creamy basil sauce in the blender.
While the pasta boils, you thaw some frozen veggies, drain a can of white beans, and make the easy cashew nut pesto sauce in the blender. Toss it all together in a baking pan, top with vegan mozzarella, and bake.
Is this a traditional pesto? Nope. Does it deliver a pesto-y flavor with no added oil, very little effort, and cheaper ingredients? It sure does. If you want a more traditional style pesto, though, try my basil-arugula pesto. It will work as the sauce for this pasta bake, too!
And if you just love creamy pasta, don't miss my vegan Philly cheesesteak pasta recipe!
💖 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- creamy cashew pesto with tender pasta, beans, and veggies
- no soaking the cashews needed!
- easy blender sauce that you make while the pasta boils
- frozen veggies = no pre-cooking needed! The hot pasta water will thaw the veggies when you drain it over them.
- easy, cheesy, versatile vegan entree - use whatever veggies you like, and mix up the cheese toppings to your preference
- easy to make gluten-free, soy-free, and even nut-free!
✓ Ingredients and Substitutions
- pasta - Use your bite-sized pasta of choice! Choose gluten-free, if needed.
- cashews - This is the base for your pesto pasta and what's making the sauce nice and creamy. For this recipe, we are not soaking the cashews, and you can use raw or roasted, salted or unsalted. You can use pumpkin seeds for nut-free.
- basil, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper - To flavor the pesto. If the amount of basil this calls for is too pricey, you can use half basil and half fresh spinach instead.
- frozen veggies - I'm using a mix of frozen peas and frozen spinach. Feel free to use other frozen veggies of choice, like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Or omit, if you don't like veggies in your pasta.
- white beans - This is your protein. You can use other plant-based proteins of choice, like chickpeas, vegan chicken, or crispy tofu.
- vegan mozzarella - Your cheesy topping! If you have some handy, mixing a little vegan parmesan into the mozzarella makes this even more delicious. You can also sprinkle on some vegan parmesan fairy dust before baking, if you like. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free cheese, if needed.
🔪 How to Make Vegan Cashew Pesto Pasta
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cook the pasta, if you haven't already. You will be making the cashew pesto while the pasta cooks. Also put the peas and spinach into your colander. When you pour the hot pasta over it, it will thaw the veggies.
Combine all of the pesto ingredients in your blender. Puree until mostly smooth.
Add the pasta, veggies, beans, and sauce to a 9x11" or similar-sized baking dish. Toss well to coat, then flatten out the top and sprinkle on the vegan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
💡 Helpful Tips
- We are not soaking the cashews for this recipe, because we don't want the cashews to totally break down. Pesto has a little bit of texture to it!
- To save time, get the pasta cooking, then drain the beans and put the frozen veggies on top of them in the colander while the pasta boils. Make the cashew nut pesto while the pasta cooks, as well, then drain the pasta over the frozen veggies to thaw them. Assemble, bake, devour!
⏰ Make-Ahead Directions
To make this ahead of time, assemble the casserole, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day. When you're ready to cook, pull the pan out of the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake as directed.
🫙 Storage Directions
Leftover cashew pesto pasta will keep in the fridge for four to five days. You can also freeze it in a closed, freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm it up in the oven or the microwave.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Yeah you can! This is more of a pesto cream sauce, but you can also use cashews in traditional pesto. They work really well!
You can! Use about the same amount of other frozen veggies of choice, like broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Instead of white beans, you can use chickpeas, vegan chicken, seitan, crispy tofu, etc. Or omit, if you don't want a protein option in your cashew pesto pasta.
📖 Recipe
Cashew Pesto Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta of choice cooked according to package directions
For the Cashew Pesto Sauce
- 1 cup cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves or a mix of half basil and half spinach
- 1 clove garlic use 2 cloves, if your garlic cloves are small
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Pasta Bake
- 15 ounce can of white beans or 1 ½ cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
- 1 cup frozen spinach thawed
- 1 cup vegan mozzarella or a mix of vegan mozzarella and parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Cook the pasta, if you haven't already. You will be making the cashew pesto while the pasta cooks. Also drain the beans and put the peas and spinach into your colander with the drained white beans. When you pour the hot pasta over it, it will thaw the veggies.
- Combine all of the pesto ingredients in your blender, and puree until mostly smooth.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain it in the colander with the frozen veggies and beans. Then, add the pasta, veggies, and beans to a 9x11" or similar-sized baking dish. Add the sauce, tossing well to coat, then flatten out the top. Sprinkle on the vegan cheese, and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
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