Herby basil pesto stirred through tagliatelle and topped with lightly spiced crispy roasted cauliflower. A lovely contrast of textures and flavours that work perfectly together for an easy weeknight meal or date night deliciousness!

Hand on heart, every single mouthful of this is complete joy.  From the crisp roast cauliflower to the garlicky homemade pesto stirred through tagliatelle ribbons.  It’s a wonderful combination of gentle spice, herbs and garlic.  And I’ve been eating this a LOT lately.  So easy and tasty.  And I make double the amount of pesto as it keeps for at least a couple of weeks in the fridge and everything else is largely hands off as the cauliflower is baked in the oven and all you need to cook is a pot of pasta.

How to make vegan pesto:

It really couldn’t be easier and is as simple as putting all the ingredients in a food processor and whizzing until fairly smooth.  I mostly use pine nuts when making pesto but walnuts are cheaper and give a slightly chunkier texture to the finished pesto.  You can also toast the nuts in a dry skillet (frying pan) first for a really deep nutty flavour but this is entirely optional.

How to roast cauliflower:

Break the cauliflower into florets.  As for the stem, I mostly chop it up and add it to Homemade Dog Food.  It’s also really good for cauliflower rice which goes great with this Healthy Indian Takeaway.

Pop the florets into a fairly large bowl.  The larger bowl just makes it easier to toss the cauliflower in the spice mixture.

Drizzle the cauliflower with some oil then scatter over the herbs and spices.  But if you prefer it hotter add more cayenne or even some dried chilli flakes.  Stir or toss the cauliflower in the bowl to coat in the spice mixture then tip onto a baking tray and roast for 30-40 minutes until crispy and cooked through.

Finishing your vegan pesto pasta:

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions then drain.  And f you want to keep the washing up to a minimum, leave the colander with the pasta in the sink and use the same saucepan to heat the cream, lemon and pesto before stirring in the cooked pasta.

Spoon the pesto pasta into serving bowls and top with the roasted cauliflower.

Extras: a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, some fresh basil leaves, a few toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts or even chopped hazelnuts for extra crunch!

Looking for even more roast cauliflower ideas?  Try these:

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing

Spicy Indian Cauliflower Curry

Roast Carrot and Quinoa Salad with Cauliflower Steaks

Za’atar Tofu and Cauliflower with Tzatziki Sauce

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