Download our FREE 7-Day Vegetarian

High Protein Meal Plan

Test link

Red Pesto Pasta (20 Min, Vegan)

HurryTheFoodUp is reader-powered. If you click through using links on our site we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

Red Pesto Pasta - The natural evolution of a classic dish | hurrythefoodup.com

Let’s talk less about the pasta and more about the pesto – after all that’s what makes this red pesto pasta special 🙂


Pesto has as interestingly long history – in various guises it can trace its roots back to the Ancient Roman age.

The word pesto comes from the original Genoesepestâ, and it means to pound or crush.

Technically speaking, anything can be called pesto if it’s ground or crushed, but pesto as we know it is certainly the tastiest.

It was traditionally made in a mortar and pestle – hence the name (1).

Modern day pesto is believed to have come from an ancient Roman dish called moretum – a healthy mix of garlic, nuts, cheese, salt and oil. It was also made in a mortar and pestle (2).

Basil only became a well-documented ingredient in as recently as the latter half of the 1800s.

Since then countless variations have been with different varieties of nuts, garlic, oil and often but not always cheese.

Pesto Rosso, or red pesto, which is what this pasta meal is based on, is relatively new and the primary ingredient is tomato.

We have basil in our red pesto, but no cheese. We also made a green pesto, which does have cheese, but no tomato. It could also be made without cheese.

Red Pesto Pasta - The natural evolution of a classic dish | hurrythefoodup.com

Back to the red pesto pasta…

So why are we telling you all this? Well basically, if it’s been enjoyed for a couple of thousand years then it can’t be bad, right? 😉

In a nod to our experimental pesto-loving ancestors, we’ve created this simple yet delish red pesto pasta dish – we’ve added a handful of rocket for the nutritional benefits (hint: rocket rocks!), and we couldn’t resist throwing in a few cherry tomatoes for that juicy, sweet crunch at the end.

Red Pesto Pasta - The natural evolution of a classic dish | hurrythefoodup.com
Red Pesto Pasta
5 from 7 votes
Red Pesto Pasta – The natural evolution of a classic dish. The pesto is all vegan and has received so much praise already you won’t believe it!
Cuisine:Vegan
Diet: dairy-free, egg-free, vegan
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:20 minutes
Servings:2 people
Calories:395kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 handful sunflower seeds (or use whatever seeds you have around)
  • 7 oz pasta (wholegrain would be best)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3-4 tbsp red pesto (See notes below to make your own!)
  • 1 handful spinach (1 handful = 50g, arugula also works)
  • 1 handful cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  • Boil that pasta o’yours.
    7 oz pasta
  • Dice the onion and fry it with olive oil in a pan on medium heat.
    1 onion, 1 tbsp olive oil
  • While that’s cooking put the seeds in a frying pan and fry without oil. They’ll only take a minute or two so don’t let them burn!
    1 handful sunflower seeds
  • Drain the cooked pasta then add it into the pan, mix in red pesto, spinach/arugula and a good handful of diced cherry tomatoes.
    3-4 tbsp red pesto, 1 handful spinach, 1 handful cherry tomatoes
  • Add a few splashes of water if you want it a bit creamier.
  • Depending on what you want add rennet-free cheddar cheese for taste, or leave it out for a vegan version.
  • For serving add a couple more cherry tomatoes as a garnish, and sprinkle over the sunflower seeds.
  • Enjoy 🙂

NOTES

Our nutritional information table does not include the red pesto as the data depends massively on the type of pesto used.Click here for a healthy vegan red pesto
.

IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE: then check out this lovely green pesto, or try this creamy avocado pasta for an amazing pesto alternative!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Red Pesto Pasta
Serving Size
 
333 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
395
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
 
4.6
g
29
%
Sodium
 
36
mg
2
%
Potassium
 
271
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
45
g
15
%
Fiber
 
10.5
g
44
%
Sugar
 
8.3
g
9
%
Protein
 
11
g
22
%
Vitamin A
 
2950
IU
59
%
Vitamin C
 
52.8
mg
64
%
Calcium
 
70
mg
7
%
Iron
 
3.4
mg
19
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @HurryTheFoodUp on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece!
Comments

Leave a comment below

Your comments make our day. Thank you! If you have a question, please skim the comments section – you might find an immediate answer there. If you made the recipe, please choose a star rating, too.

Recipe Rating




10 comments
  1. O red pesto? That sounds delicious!!! Red is the new green 😉

  2. Love the little history on pesto. It’s such a great, versatile sauce. This one looks like a definite keeper!

  3. Lovely read about pesto!! This sounds delicious, great way to use my fresh tomatoes from my yard too!

  4. I adore pesto and your pasta sounds delicious. Sunflower seeds is are a great addition. I love meals with lots of texture.

  5. 5 stars
    Another fun and awesomely informative post from HTFU! You all really do rock. Speaking of rock, adding fresh rocket to the pesto pasta is such a rebel move and it sounds DELISH!

  6. I absolutely love pesto and it’s so much fun to make. I like to swap out the types of nuts that I use and add nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor. This dish looks so good that I’m changing my dinner plans and making pasta. 🙂

  7. We are pesto fanatics at my house and we can’t ever pass up a good pesto rosso. Love that you added some rocket and tomatoes to the pasta. Looks delicious! Pinning 😉

  8. Oh yum, this looks like the perfect summer pasta dish! I love pesto, but have never made a red one before – need to change that now 🙂

  9. ooo that red pesto is such a good idea!! would love to switch it up instead of using regular pasta sauce all the time.

    1. It’s totally the way forward! Tastier and more nutritious – win-win if you ask me 🙂