Vegan Pesto Pasta With Asparagus, Tomatoes & Sunflower Seeds

Q: What can I serve with vegan pesto pasta?

Baked tofu is lovely on the side. You could add a Darwin mango salad too, and finish with a mango and black rice dessert.

Vegan Pesto Pasta With Asparagus, Cherry Tomatoes And Sunflower Seeds.

A Dairy Free Basil Pesto Made With Sunflower Seeds Instead Of Pine Nuts.

Easy, Vegan, And Very Moreish.

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Introduction to vegan pesto

This vegan pesto is fresh basil blended with sunflower seeds, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, smoky paprika, salt and pepper, with no cheese and no pine nuts. I toss it through chickpea spiral pasta with steamed asparagus, and top it with cherry tomatoes.

It’s my favourite pesto, and it’s very moreish! I first ate a version of this dish at a Flametree Bali yoga retreat, and I’ve adapted it at home in Darwin.

For many years, I found that pesto gave me tummy upsets, or bloating, or both. This one never has. With chickpea pasta and some baked tofu on the side, it’s a filling meal that keeps me satisfied.

If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Vegan pesto pasta, ready to eat

Vegan pesto pasta with basil, asparagus, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds

My vegan pesto with basil, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, sunflower seeds and chickpea pasta. Basil is the star.

Ingredients for vegan pesto

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio pesto and pasta.

The pesto

Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
2 bunches of fresh basil
A third of a cup of sunflower seeds
A third to half a cup of good olive oil
Half a teaspoon of smoky paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chilli, if you like it hotter (optional)

The pasta

A bunch of asparagus
Chickpea spiral pasta, or whatever pasta you prefer
4 to 6 cherry tomatoes, preferably organic

To serve (optional)

Baked tofu: firm organic tofu with a sprinkle of soy sauce

The chickpea pasta I use tastes great, and you’ll find it in supermarkets even in faraway places like Darwin.

The chickpea pasta I use

Packet of chickpea spiral pasta for vegan pesto pasta

Chickpea pasta is a good option for vegan pesto pasta, and it tastes great.

How to make vegan pesto

Use these steps to make this vegan pesto and pasta. Use the chickpea pasta in the picture, or whatever you prefer.

Step 1: Cook the pasta and asparagus

Start cooking the pasta in boiling, salted water.
Steam the asparagus until it’s cooked but still firm.
Cool it under cold water, and cut it into 2 cm pieces.

Step 2: Make the pesto

Blend the lemon juice, garlic, basil, sunflower seeds, smoky paprika, salt, pepper and some of the olive oil.
Add the rest of the olive oil a little at a time, until the pesto is the consistency you like.
Add some chilli if you like it hotter.

Step 3: Put it together

Drain the pasta.
Mix the pesto and asparagus together.
Spoon the pesto over the pasta, and top it with the cut cherry tomatoes.

Served with baked tofu

My vegan pesto pasta with baked tofu on the side, for even more protein.

Is pesto vegan?

Traditional pesto isn’t, because it’s made with parmesan cheese. This pesto has no cheese at all, so it’s vegan and dairy free.

The pesto itself is naturally gluten free. If you need to avoid gluten, check your pasta label, and use a gluten free soy sauce on the tofu.

Can you make pesto without pine nuts?

Yes. Sunflower seeds work beautifully in place of pine nuts, which makes this pesto nut free. If you’re cooking for someone with a nut allergy, check the labels for traces.

How do you bake tofu?

I use firm organic tofu with just a sprinkle of soy sauce, and bake it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. It’s an easy way to add protein to this pasta.

My baked tofu

Baked tofu made with firm organic tofu to serve with vegan pesto

Baked tofu made with firm, organic tofu. About 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius.

Vegan pesto: quick questions answered

What pasta goes best with this pesto?

Chickpea spiral pasta is my favourite, but use whatever pasta you prefer.

How do I make the pesto spicier?

Add some chilli when you blend the pesto.

How do I cook the asparagus for pesto pasta?

Steam it until it’s cooked but still firm, cool it under cold water, then cut it into 2 cm pieces.

What can I serve with vegan pesto pasta?

Baked tofu is lovely on the side. You could add a Darwin mango salad too, and finish with my mango and black rice dessert. Yum!

Where did this vegan pesto recipe come from?

I first ate a version of it at a Flametree Bali yoga retreat, and I’ve adapted it at home. Read how the retreats also helped me give up my lifetime ice cream habit.

More Flametree vegan main meals

Hungry for more? Try my tofu and vegetable skewers, my easy tofu vegetable stir fry, or my black rice noodles with tofu and edamame.

Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?

Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.

Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.

Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.

Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat

By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.

Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.

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Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.