Lemony Pesto Farfalle Pasta
Lemony pesto farfalle pasta is a bright, fresh vegan pasta tossed in a basil-pine nut pesto and finished with lemon zest, lemon juice, baby spinach and nutritional yeast. It is filling but refreshing, comes together in the time it takes the pasta to boil, and works as a quick weekday lunch or a relaxed dinner with a glass of wine.
I usually try to limit my pasta-eating habits, but some days simply ask for pasta, and this was one of them. Because I had such a good day, I went for one of my favorite pasta recipes, a dish I have made dozens of times that still never ceases to make me smile. I have been vegan for quite some time now and, let me tell you, I do not miss a thing.
For this recipe I chose farfalle, also known as bow-tie or butterfly pasta. The word comes from the Italian farfalle, which (not too surprising, I guess) means butterfly. I love them because they are so cute, small and perfectly bite-sized, and the little pinched centers catch the pesto in a way long pasta never does. I find cooking pasta extremely satisfying, not sure why, and for me this was the perfect way to end the week.
This Recipe Works If You Need
- A fast lunch or dinner that is ready in the time it takes the pasta to boil.
- A vegan pasta that still tastes rich and cheesy, thanks to nutritional yeast instead of dairy.
- Something filling but refreshing, with lemon keeping it light rather than heavy.
- A reason to use up a big bunch of fresh basil before it wilts in the fridge.
- A flexible base you can serve warm for dinner or at room temperature as a pasta salad.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh homemade pesto blended from basil, roasted pine nuts and garlic beats anything from a jar, and you control how much oil, salt and garlic goes in.
- Bright and balanced because both lemon zest and lemon juice go in, cutting the richness of the pesto so the dish never feels heavy.
- Naturally vegan with nutritional yeast standing in for cheese, while the Parmesan stays optional for anyone who is not avoiding dairy.
- Quick to make since the pesto blends and the spinach wilts in the time the farfalle needs to cook.
- Extra greens built in from baby spinach stirred straight into the pan, so it is more than just pasta and sauce.
- Forgiving and flexible, easy to scale up, serve warm or cold, and adjust to whatever you have on hand.
Ingredient Notes
Farfalle pasta is the bow-tie shape this dish is built around. The pinched middle stays a little firmer than the thin wings, giving you two textures in one bite, and the folds trap the pesto. Look for a bronze-die pasta if you can find it, since the rougher surface grips sauce far better than the slick, glossy supermarket version.
Basil leaves are the backbone of the pesto, so use four full cups of fresh, perky leaves with no dark or slimy spots. Buy basil that smells strongly sweet and peppery the moment you pick up the bunch, and pluck only the leaves, since the stems can turn the pesto bitter.
Pine nuts bring the buttery, slightly resinous note that makes pesto taste like pesto. Roast them in a dry, hot pan until just golden and fragrant. They carry a lot of natural oil, so they burn in seconds, which is why you should keep them moving and pull them off the heat the moment they color.
Lemon does double duty here, with the zest going into the pan and the juice stirred in at the end. Use the whole of one lemon and zest it before juicing, since it is nearly impossible to zest a squeezed half. Choose a firm, heavy lemon with smooth skin, and wash it well because the zest is the outer skin you are eating.
Baby spinach is stirred into the hot pan where it wilts almost instantly, adding color and a soft green bite. Two cups looks like a lot raw but collapses to very little once it hits the heat, so do not be tempted to cut it back.
Nutritional yeast is what gives this vegan version its savory, cheesy depth without any dairy. Look for the deactivated yellow flakes sold for cooking, not active baking yeast, and add it to the pan so it dissolves into the sauce rather than sitting on top.
Garlic is a single raw clove blended into the pesto, which is plenty. Raw garlic grows sharper as it sits, so one clove gives presence without taking over. Pick a firm bulb with no green sprout in the center, since the sprout is the bitter part.
Olive oil is drizzled into the pesto as it blends and used to cook the spinach, so its flavor really comes through. Use a good extra virgin olive oil you would happily taste on its own, and add it slowly while the blender runs so the pesto turns smooth and creamy rather than greasy.
Parmesan cheese is listed only as an optional addition for a non-vegan version. The dish is complete without it thanks to the nutritional yeast, so skip it to keep the recipe vegan, or stir in half a cup if you are cooking for cheese lovers.
Tips
- Watch the pine nuts like a hawk. Roast them in a dry, hot pan and shake constantly. You know they are ready when they smell toasty and just turn pale gold. They go from perfect to burnt and bitter in a matter of seconds.
- Drizzle the oil in slowly while blending. Pulsing the basil, nuts and garlic first, then adding olive oil in a thin stream, is what makes the pesto turn smooth and creamy instead of splitting into a greasy puddle.
- Save your pasta water. Half a cup of the starchy cooking water goes into the pan with the spinach. That starch is what binds the pesto to the pasta and turns it into a glossy sauce that clings instead of sliding off.
- Pull the pasta one minute early. Drain it a minute before the box says it is done and finish it in the pan for that last minute. It keeps the farfalle pleasantly firm and lets it soak up flavor rather than just sitting under sauce.
- Keep the pesto raw and add it off the boil. Stir the pesto in at the very end with the lemon juice and cook just one more minute. Long cooking dulls the fresh basil and turns the bright green army-drab.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the nuts. Pine nuts are classic but pricey. Toasted walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds all blend into a fine pesto, each with its own character, so use what you have.
- Change the pasta shape. Farfalle is my pick for its bite-sized charm, but any short pasta with ridges or curls, like fusilli or penne, will hold the pesto just as well.
- Make it cheesy two ways. Keep it vegan with the nutritional yeast, or stir in the optional half cup of grated Parmesan for a richer, non-vegan version.
- Add more greens or protein. Beyond the baby spinach, you can fold in peas, halved cherry tomatoes or a handful of chickpeas to turn it into a more substantial meal.
Storage and Make Ahead
This pasta is at its best fresh, while the basil is still vivid and the lemon bright, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. The pesto may dull in color a little, which is normal. Loosen it with a splash of water or olive oil when you reheat gently, or eat it cold straight from the fridge as a pasta salad, which is honestly lovely the next day.
To get ahead, make the pesto on its own up to a few days in advance and store it in a jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top to keep the air out and the color green. Cook the pasta and assemble the dish just before serving so the spinach stays fresh and the farfalle keeps its bite. If you love this kind of cooking, browse more vegan pasta recipes, try the related pasta with arugula pesto and capers, or fold the same pesto idea into this green pea and olives pesto salad.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. Just trust me, vegan pasta never tasted so good. And do not forget to comment and let me know how it worked out, because I am always curious about your results and your opinions.
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Lemony Pesto Farfalle Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups farfalle pasta
- 4 cups basil leaves
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts roasted
- 1 lemon
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, optional for non-vegan option
- 1 clove garlic
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Roast the pine nuts in a dry, hot pan until lightly golden.
- Add the basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic clove to a blender.
- Pulse and drizzle in olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Season the pesto with salt and pepper.
- Boil the pasta in salted water.
- Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add the spinach, nutritional yeast (and Parmesan, if using), the zest of 1 lemon and 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Drain the pasta 1 minute before it’s done and transfer it to the pan. Add the pesto and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the base recipe is fully vegan. It uses a homemade basil and pine nut pesto with nutritional yeast standing in for cheese, and no dairy, eggs or honey. Parmesan is listed only as an optional addition for anyone who wants a non-vegan version, so simply leave it out to keep the dish vegan.
Bitterness in pesto usually comes from three places: scorched pine nuts, basil stems, and the green sprout inside a garlic clove. Roast the pine nuts only until pale gold, use just the basil leaves rather than the stems, and remove any green germ from the center of the garlic before blending.
The starchy water left from boiling the pasta acts as a natural emulsifier. Stirring about half a cup into the pan helps the pesto cling to the farfalle and turns it into a glossy sauce that coats every piece instead of sliding off and pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Yes. Blend the basil, roasted pine nuts, garlic and olive oil into pesto up to a few days in advance and store it in a jar in the fridge. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to seal out air and keep the color bright green, then toss it through freshly cooked pasta when you are ready to eat.
Pine nuts give pesto its classic buttery flavor but they are expensive. Toasted walnuts, almonds or even sunflower seeds all blend into a smooth pesto and work well in this recipe. Each brings a slightly different character, so use whichever you have on hand.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for two to three days. The pesto may lose some of its bright green color, which is normal. Reheat gently with a splash of water or olive oil to loosen the sauce, or enjoy it cold as a pasta salad the next day.
Super delicious and easy to make!