Looking for a simple and delicious dinner recipe that’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and that you can make with just a quick Trader Joe’s trip? This 3-Ingredient Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta is calling your name!
3-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Pesto Pasta
(UHM that’s a mouthful… literally and figuratively!!)
Is anyone out there like me and could literally eat pasta for every meal?? I feel like I’m on a never ending mission to recreate all of the AMAZING, cheesy, creamy, irresistible pasta dishes with a healthier spin. I lovveee Italian food, but with all the cream, butter and pasta I don’t always feel the best after eating it. So obviously that’s how we ended up here with this seriously addictive recipe! I swear it tastes like the most delicious comfort meal but it will definitely not leave you feeling tried and crappy like most indulgent pasta dishes do! And even better, the 3-ingredients I use for this recipe are all from Trader Joe’s to make it even more convenient (who doesn’t love a trip to TJ’s?!).
Okay enough with my spiel! Let’s move onto what you need to make this recipe…
The 3 Ingredients You Need to Make This Recipe
There’s honestly nothing I love more than a simple recipe and this is exactly that! Three ingredients is all you need and they’re super common to make it that much easier. Even if you don’t have the exact ingredients that I used, you can still make this meal! Just check out my substitution suggestions here…
- Pasta of choice! For this recipe I used the brown rice fusilli from Trader Joe’s (of course), but any pasta you have on hand will do.
- Raw cashews: I end up blending these with water to make a cashew cream and that’s what makes the pesto super creamy and delicious! If you don’t have cashews you could replace them with silken tofu or swap the mixture with canned coconut milk.
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Kale Pesto: This is the key to the recipe! You can use your favorite pesto but if you’re trying to keep it vegan, this is definitely the way to go! Plus, vegan or not, it’s SO tasty.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
To get started, add the cashews to a bowl with warm or hot water so they can soak for a about 10 minutes. I like to do this step first so they can sit while I prep the rest of the meal!
Then just cook your pasta according to the package directions. Right before the pasta is done, drain the cashews and add them to a blender with about 1/2 cup of water (more or less depending on how think you want the cashew cream to be). Blend until completely smooth and then add this into the pasta pot with the cooked pasta and pesto sauce. Mix well and you’ve created a restaurant-worthy pasta dish in practically 15 minutes (you can thank me later)!
3-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 16oz pasta package
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 container Trader Joe’s Kale Vegan Pesto
Directions
- Add cashews to a bowl with hot water and set aside for about 5-10 minutes.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, drain cashews and transfer to a blender with about 1/2 cup of fresh water. blend until completely smooth.
- Once pasta is drained, transfer it back to the pot along with the cashew cream and pesto. Mix well.
- Serve, top with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy!
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you recreate it make sure to let me know how you like it or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @eatwitherikaa!
Looking for more dairy-free recipes?! Check out some of my favorites here…
I made this tonight and loved it! I added chicken sausage because I wasn’t concerned with it being vegan. I’d probably add peas and maybe chopped asparagus next time! Thanks for a great and EASY recipe.