• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
This Savory Vegan
  • RECIPES
  • DINNER PLANS
  • SHOP
    • eBook
    • Amazon Faves
  • NEWSLETTER
  • VIDEOS
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • SHOP
  • NEWSLETTER
  • DINNER PLANS
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • SHOP
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DINNER PLANS
    • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home

    Pistachio Pesto Pasta

    March 13, 2023 By Rene 4 Comments

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas!

    Jump to Recipe
    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Pesto is always a good choice, but this pistachio pesto is on a whole other level! It is made with cilantro (but you could also use basil) and has the perfect amount of spice, earthiness and brightness. Tossed with pappardelle pasta and topped with crispy chickpeas - this pasta is a must for spring!

    Jump to:
    • How to Make Pistachio Pesto
    • Assemble
    • Serve it Up
    • Need More Recipe Inspo? Check these Out!
    • Did you Make this Recipe?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    How to Make Pistachio Pesto

    I can't get enough of this pistachio pesto! It is at the top of my homemade pesto list - with Broccoli Pesto and Kale Pesto right behind it. Here is what you need to make it:

    • cilantro - or sub basil
    • jalapeño - optional, you can omit it if you don't like spice
    • garlic 
    • pistachios 
    • lime juice
    • oil
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • water - as needed to thin
    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Add everything to a food processor and pulse to combine. Scrape down the edges as you go and give it a taste before setting it aside.

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Assemble

    Bring a stock pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.

    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until crispy.

    Place the empty stock pot back on the stove over low heat. Add the pasta & pesto and toss to combine. Add pasta water as needed to thin.

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Serve it Up

    Plate the hot pasta and top with the chickpeas. This pesto pasta is best served right away, so if you don't plan on eating right away, prep all of the components and toss to combine right before serving.

    You can also add some fresh basil for a pop of color and freshness. This pasta is so simple and totally tasty - you gotta try it!

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Need More Recipe Inspo? Check these Out!

    • Zesty Vegan Chickpea Meatballs
    • Spicy Chipotle Tahini Sauce
    • Vegan BBQ Beef Bowls
    • Black Bean Quinoa Tacos
    • Caesar Salad Pizza
    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto

    Did you Make this Recipe?

    If you made this Pistachio Pesto Pasta I would LOVE to hear what you thought. Be sure to drop a comment and a rating below! You can also tag me on social media if you snapped a photo. I LOVE seeing your recreations!

    📖 Recipe

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Pistachio Pesto Pasta

    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword cilantro, dinner, pasta, pasta sauce, pesto, spring, summer
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 410kcal

    Equipment

    • stock pot
    • food processor

    Ingredients

    FOR THE PISTACHIO PESTO

    • ½ cup cilantro or sub basil
    • 1 jalapeño chopped, optional
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled
    • ½ cup pistachios shelled
    • 1 lime juiced
    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • water as needed to thin

    FOR THE PASTA

    • ¾ pound pasta I used pappardelle
    • 1 teaspoon oil
    • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • salt to taste

    Instructions

    • Add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
    • Bring a stock pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
    • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until crispy.
    • Place the empty stock pot back on the stove over low heat. Add the pasta & pesto and toss to combine. Add pasta water as needed to thin.
    • Serve the pasta hot with the chickpeas on top.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 2mg
    This Pistachio Pesto Pasta is dairy-free, vegan and totally delicious! Made with cilantro, garlic & pistachios and served with crispy chickpeas | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #cilantropesto
    « Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #206
    Mediterranean Lentil Grain Bowls »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robyn

      March 19, 2023 at 7:26 am

      Where do you find vegan papperdelle pasta?

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 20, 2023 at 12:18 pm

        I got mine at Trader Joe's, but Whole Foods does too. And you can even order it on Amazon!

        Reply
    2. Dave P

      March 15, 2023 at 6:32 pm

      Made this for dinner tonight. Very easy to prepare and simply delicious! Only additions I made were to add cooked mushrooms and I topped it with some chopped fresh basil, pistachios and the chickpeas.

      Reply
    3. Catherine

      March 14, 2023 at 7:42 pm

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and wow I am loving this recipe! The pistachio pesto is incredible and the spices for the chickpeas are perfection. It’s very easy to follow the recipe and it looks and tastes like something you would find in a restaurant! Thank you for another fantastic recipe!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, nice to meet you!

    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Recipes
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 This Savory Vegan by Rene Barker