Name: Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta With Whipped Tofu Ricotta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Vegan Tofu Ricotta* (or store-bought vegan ricotta); 1.5 cups broccoli florets (large stems removed and roughly chopped, uncooked); 1 cup basil; 1/3 cup walnuts; 2 cloves garlic; 1 lemon (juiced); 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil; salt & pepper (to taste); 8 oz spaghetti (or pasta of choice); 2 tbsp vegan butter; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 shallot (diced); 1 lemon (zested and juiced); basil, parsley, vegan parmesan (optional toppings)

This Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta With Whipped Tofu Ricotta is filled with a chunky, healthy pesto and creamy vegan ricotta. A comforting and bright meal!

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So, when I came across a picture of broccoli pesto pasta with ricotta on Half Baked Harvest's Instagram I immediately knew that I needed to vegan-ize the recipe.

It just has the perfect balance. Chunky pesto made from fresh basil, broccoli, walnuts and garlic. Whipped ricotta. And a whole lotta pasta. The combo makes for a creamy, fresh dinner that is absolutely delicious.

How to make Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta

My tofu ricotta recipe is perfect for this recipe - it is already whipped so it makes for a creamy base for this pasta. If you decide to buy store-bought vegan ricotta then I would run it through the food processor to get it nice and silky before plating.

And since we are putting our pasta on top of this creamy base, it is ok to leave your pesto on the chunky side. The ricotta is going to smooth everything out.

You can easily make the pesto and ricotta in advance and then bring everything together when you are ready to eat. Both the ricotta and pesto will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, so you have a lot of time to prep.

This is a perfect date night dinner. Serve this with a big green salad and you have a creamy, fresh pasta dish that tastes decadent, but is super easy to put together.

And if you have kids, this is a great way to sneak in lots of veggies into one dish. They'll never know there is broccoli in there.

Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:

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5 from 3 votes

Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta With Whipped Tofu Ricotta

This Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta With Whipped Tofu Ricotta is filled with a chunky, healthy pesto and creamy vegan ricotta. A comforting and bright meal!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword pasta, pesto, ricotta

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings

Calories 501kcal

Ingredients

1 cup Vegan Tofu Ricotta* or store-bought vegan ricotta

FOR THE BROCCOLI PESTO

1.5 cups broccoli florets large stems removed and roughly chopped, uncooked
1 cup basil
⅓ cup walnuts
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon juiced
¼-1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

FOR THE PASTA

8 oz spaghetti or pasta of choice
2 tablespoon vegan butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot diced
1 lemon zested and juiced
basil, parsley, vegan parmesan optional toppings

Instructions

Prepare the Vegan Tofu Ricotta according to the instructions and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Prepare the pesto by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined, scrapping down the sides as needed. It is ok if the pesto is on the chunky side. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Place in a bowl until ready to use.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, being sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While pasta is cooking, heat vegan butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add shallot, lemon zest & lemon juice and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the pesto and a ½ cup of the pasta water. Toss to combine, adding additional pasta water as needed. Once everything is heated through and sauce comes together remove from the heat.
To serve, spread ¼ cup of ricotta onto each plate (or bowl) and top with pasta. Add any additional toppings and eat!

Video

Notes

*It will make more than you need for this recipe. Store leftover ricotta in the fridge and use within 3-5 days. If you use store-bought ricotta, whip it in a food processor before serving. Nutrition info does not include ricotta - this will differ depending on if you make it yourself or buy it pre-made.

Nutrition

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