We love a good pesto pasta, but many recipes include cheese. Not this one. This one-bowl and one-pan recipe is deliciously dairy-free and packed with protein and micronutrients. It’s a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that will please the entire family or impress your significant other for a date night in. Dig in!
Ingredients
For the Pesto
3 cups fresh basil, washed, large stems torn off
juice of 1 lemon
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup hemp seeds
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cracked black pepper
For the Salad
1 cup pesto
10 oz penne or fusilli pasta (use brown rice pasta to make this gluten-free)
16 oz organic firm tofu
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1½ cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the pesto by combining all the pesto ingredients in a food processor for about 2 minutes (or less for a chunkier pesto).
2. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions. Using a dish towel, paper towels, or tofu press, squeeze the excess water out of the tofu and dice into small cubes.
3. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the tofu and sprinkle it with ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes until golden brown on all sides, stirring often.
4. Add 3 tablespoons of pesto and mix until the tofu is coated. Stir in the mushrooms and peas and cook for another 5 minutes until the mushrooms are soft.
5. Stir in the pasta and the rest of the pesto. Mix well until the pasta is heated.
Recipe reposted with permission of Megan Sadd, a Switch4Good team member and founder of Carrots & Flowers. If you’re a recipe developer, athlete, or just proud to be dairy-free, sign up to be a part of our growing team of go-getter individuals!
