Vegan Pasta Salad With Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Sharing is caring!

It’s getting to be that time of year when dinners are meant to be eaten on patios and lunches should be consumed in parks and on beaches. For such weather, I have just the thing:

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta!

Origins of Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-dried tomatoes are a common ingredient in Italian cuisine. Italians originally dried tomatoes on their ceramic rooftops. And it’s thought that the technique may even date as far back 700 AD when Aztecs would salt and dry tomatoes in the sun to preserve their freshness (source). Whoever came up with the brilliant idea, we’re grateful!

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta

If you’re a lover of simple pasta, you’re going to love this recipe.Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers

It’s big on flavor and short on time and both vegan and gluten free! Plus, from start to finish it requires about 20 minutes and just 6 ingredients! In my world, it doesn’t get much better than that.

While your (gluten-free) pasta is boiling just blitz your sun-dried tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, vegan parmesan, fresh basil, and salt + pepper.

In a matter of minutes you have a dairy-free pesto that’s ideal for pastas, bread dipping, sandwich spreading, and even salad topping. You’ve gotta love a sauce that can multitask. 

I think you guys are going to LOVE this pasta! It’s:

Super flavorful
Savory
Fresh
Simple
Satisfying
& perfect for warmer weather

Why warmer weather you ask? Eat it hot, eat it cold, eat it lukewarm – it’s still delicious. This makes it perfect for picnics, road trips, and beach days.

If you try this recipe, let us know what you think! Leave a comment and rate it!

Print Recipe

Vegan Pasta Salad With Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Simple, 6-ingredient Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta that comes together in 20 minutes! An easy, healthy vegan, gluten-free lunch or dinner.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (such as fusilli // or sub whole wheat)
• 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (1 cup yield ~3 ounces)
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup fresh basil (plus more for serving)
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese (plus more for serving)

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Servings people Ingredients 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (such as fusilli // or sub whole wheat) 3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes (1 cup yield ~3 ounces) 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 cup fresh basil (plus more for serving) 2-4 cloves garlic 2 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese (plus more for serving)

Instructions

1. Boil water, add salt, and then add pasta. Cook according to package instructions. Pasta with grooves is best.
2. Add sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, basil, garlic (starting with lesser amount), and vegan parmesan cheese to a food processor or high-speed blender and puree into a pesto-like consistency.
3. If it has trouble mixing, add a bit of hot pasta water (2-3 Tbsp // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) to help encourage it along. It doesn’t need to be finely pureed, just well mixed. I think a bit of texture is a good thing in this dish. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more garlic for zing, basil for herbiness, or vegan parmesan cheese for cheesiness.
4. Add drained pasta back to the pot you cooked it in and add pesto. Toss to coat and season with a bit more olive oil and vegan parmesan.
5. Serve warm with additional fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese. Store covered in the fridge for up to a few days, though best when fresh.
6. This can be enjoyed hot, slightly chilled or at room temperature, making it ideal for picnics and take-along lunches!

Recipe Notes

*For my pasta, I used the gluten-free quinoa brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s and it’s seriously delicious and undetectably gluten-free!
*If your sun-dried tomatoes are in oil, omit the extra olive oil.
*Loosely adapted from Giada de Laurentis.