Posted in Recipes on 22.03.2023
Roast Cauliflower Vegan Pesto Pasta
prep: 15 mins / cook: 40 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 55 mins / quantity: 2 servings Print recipe?
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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Roast Cauliflower Vegan Pesto Pasta
prep: 15 mins / cook: 40 mins / inactive: 0 mins / total: 55 mins / quantity: 2 servings
Ingredients
Roast cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried sage
salt and pepper
Pesto:
2 cups (2 large handfuls) fresh basil
1 lemon – juice only
1/3 cup (50g) pine nuts (sub with walnuts or pecans)
3-4 cloves garlic – peeled
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 cup (50 ml) olive or nut oil
Pasta:
7 ounces (200g) tagliatelle
1 lemon – juice only
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegan cream
1 tablespoon grated vegan parmesan
Equipment:
Food processor – I love this Magimix
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 Fan / 200 C / 400 F / Gas 6
- Break the cauliflower into florets and put into a large bowl. Drizzle over the oil, then scatter over the herbs, spices and a good pinch each of salt and pepper
- Toss everything together to coat the cauliflower then tip onto a roasting tray and cook for 30-40 minutes until the cauliflower is crispy and cooked through
- While that's roasting make the pesto by putting all the ingredients into a food processor and whizzing until smooth
- Boil some water for the pasta, cook the pasta according to packet instructions then drain
- Heat the cream, lemon juice and pesto in a saucepan then stir in the cooked pasta
- Spoon the pesto pasta into serving bowls and top with the crispy roast cauliflower and a sprinkle of grated parmesan
Notes
- Scatter over some basil leaves and toasted nuts for an extra pop of flavour and crunch!
Hello and welcome to The Cook & Him.
We are Sam (The Cook), Phil (Him) and our little dog Nooch. What started with a plan to shed a few pounds back in 2016, soon became obvious that eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland and boring.
So, combining Sam’s 15 years of experience working within Michelin starred restaurants and our love for deliciously healthy food, we’re creating recipes for you to make and enjoy. We’ve added our own unique spin on traditional and contemporary vegetarian and vegan recipes that keep you (and your pets!) healthy and full. And we make sure they just work.
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