Why was this sooooo good ? Well, I must tell you that the combination of ingredients worked a magic of their own – although I love the credit when it’s due, I give credit to the ingredients themselves for behaving in such a wondrous fashion. Let me speak no more, and let the food speak to you.
TIP : You may wish to indulge in some chilled white wine with this. But there is no need for a salad with this dish – it warrants your undivided attention.
Makes 2-3 portions
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PESTO
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 2 cups of raw baby spinach (pack it in though)
- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup of fresh rocket (rucola)
- ½ cup of hazelnuts (lightly toasted)
- ¼ cup of raw cashew nuts
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp vegan cheese of your choice
- 1 cup of vegan cream of your choice
- olive oil for drizzling
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SCORCHED VINE TOMATOES
- around a dozen or so vine tomatoes
- olive oil
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp curry powder
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
METHOD FOR THE PESTO
Place the nuts and garlic in a food processor, and process until small crumbs are formed. Next, add all your greens, and process until shredded into very small pieces.
Finally, add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Taste for salt, and then pour the mixture into a bowl.
Meantime, get your pasta on the boil, and prepare your tomatoes. Pour a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, and fry your tomatoes until they begin to brown. Sprinkle on all the ingredients, and allow the tomatoes to slightly scorch (no need to burn them). Your tomatoes are ready to serve.
Finally, heat up your pesto up in a large non-stick pan, throw in your cooked pasta, and stir well. Serve hot, gently drop the tomatoes on top of your pasta, and ENJOY !!
All recipes, content & design © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
These are free recipes for your pleasure – all we ask in return is that you take a few moments to leave a constructive comment !
Miriam, I have tried alot of pestos, and looking forward to making it your way. This is a must share. This recipe is a keep, I can add other ingredients to it, like a side of spinach pasta.
Barbara Hi there and thanks so much for dropping by here. I do hope you make and enjoy this pesto creation, I shall look forward to your feedback on this and hope you enjoy it to the maximum. Huge Cheers to you Barbara !
That looks really good Miriam! I love visiting your site for inspiration on colorful vegan food, so thank you!
I will definitely make this soon and I hope it will be as delicious as yours 😉 If I wanted to replace the coriander seeds with something else, what would you suggest?
Regards Anne (from Denmark)
Anne Hi there and thanks for dropping by here with your lovely comment. I am sure your dish will taste every bit as good as mine. If you can use the coriander seeds do, as they add a magic to the dish – if not then if you love black pepper, add some extra black pepper for an extra kick here. Let me know how it goes and best to you in the meantime.
This was super yummy!! I can not find vegan cream in the area I live in. I over cooked my tomato’s & they fell apart but were still totally yummy! Today I am going to make your golden loaf :0 wish me luck!!!
Amy Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by with your comment. Remember to use half a cup of cashew nuts soaked in water, then drained and processed with a cup and a half of water, add water slowly so that you reach the ‘creamy’ consistency that you desire – this method for making your own cream really does come in rather handy – so keep it up your sleeve. Glad you enjoyed the pasta, and look forward to your comment/feedback on my loaf – Enjoy and best to you !.
Wow!!! This was incredibly delicious!!! I can’t wait to make it again. My 5 year old freaked out when he saw dinner saying “I am NOT eating SALAD NOODLES!!!!” (because they were green & he said he smelled “salad” in the noodles) but then once adhering to the “5 bites for a 5 year old ” rule- he really liked it. Thanks!!!
Hi there Laura and welcome here – thanks for coming by here with your comment, I appreciate it. What a success with your 5 year old, and better still you know you can repeat the recipe for him and yourself – and remind him ‘these are the noodles you liked’ – awesome. I look forward to your future comments on my blog.
I made two batches of the pesto sauce yesterday, for I had aragula, spinach and a huge pack of oatly cream that I had to use; so this seemed the perfect way to do so to me. I freezed the sauce for later use, but I licked some from my fingers and I’m looking forward to eating this pasta :-). (I kind of overcame my fear of pesto-making last week, when I made the pesto from vegan brunch, to use in a pasta I often make with green pesto, green beans, pinenuts, garlic and tomatoes: awesome and yet soooo simple – it’s based on a (cheese containing) dish I used to eat in a restaurant near campus, when I was a student).
Hi there Mirjam thanks for dropping by with your comment. Sounds like you have been busy in the kitchen, and I do hope your batches of my pesto go down with delight as and when, do let me know, although your finger licking may prove to be a good starting point. Very Best to you and enjoy my other recipes too. Your other pesto sounds great too. Hope you pop by and let me know what you think of my pesto as and when, meantime, Cheers to you !
We made this yesterday and we loved it. We couldn’t find rucola though so we used arugula. Is it the same thing? Anyway, this is the third recipe of yours we’ve made in the last couple of weeks and each one has been wonderful. Thanks for posting them. Best wishes.
Rick Hi there and welcome here – I am delighted that you dropped by with your comment and feedback on this pasta dish. Great to know that you all loved it and that you have enjoyed my other recipes that you tried also. It is my pleasure posting them and I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best wishes to you too – Cheers ! P.S. To my knowledge yes arugula is the same as rocket (Arugula (otherwise known as rocket, roquette, rugula and rucola) is a dark green salad leaf with a slightly bitter, mustardy, peppery flavor.)
Please keep inspiring us with these beautiful healthy recipes. Forgive me for not knowing, but do you have a published book of your recipes? Thanks again…. XXX
I made this recipe last night, it was delicious! My husband who is not a huge pesto fan loved it. I used Vegan Dad’s vegan pasta recipe too. I might use less cream next time as there was a ton of sauce. I was also a little skeptical of how the tomatoes with the curry powder and corriander (I used powder) were going to mix with the pesto and it really pulled everything together. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Susan Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by with your comment and feedback. I am delighted that you enjoyed this dish and also that you had more than you thought in terms of quantity of the sauce – it keeps so well in the fridge, and is a blessing to find the next day when you don’t have to cook again. Yes, the curried cherry tomatoes just give it that extra je ne sais quoi ! Cheers to you and look forward to your future comments on my blog.
Melissa Hi there and welcome here. Thank you so much for popping by with your wonderful comment. I do not yet have a book published, but I do have one that will be published in some months to come, it will have many amazing recipes and I am taking names down of people that are interested in having a copy when it’s out – do let me know if so, so that I would contact you as and when. Meantime, enjoy my recipes here, drop by again with your feedback and Best to you !
Hi, I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. As a new vegetarian exploring veganism, I lack the knowledge and confidence to make lots of yummy, healthy meals, but this one was easy and tasted great. My family loved it too. I didn’t have access to vegan cheese or vegan cream as such, so used tofutti instead and it worked great with a little nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. Thank you for the recipe.
Verity Hi there and welcome here – many thanks for dropping by here with your comment. I am delighted to hear that both yourself and your family enjoyed this dish, and also glad to hear that the tofutti worked well with it. I endeavour to make my dishes as delicious as possible in order to please the eye, enjoy the culinary experience as much as ever, whilst being able to entertain family friends and treat ourselves to a selection of mouthwatering delicious and nutritious food, without missing out on variety – rather have access to all flavours, colours, aromas and textures on our plates – it is my mission to deliver and create recipes that satisfy our palettes at the same time celebrate dishes that bring delight to the table. I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best to you !
Well..I was doubtful regarding the curry/coriander…flavours..not Italian…hehe..BUT..boy did it work? As I dont measure ….or weigh anything…it was a little on the dry side. I added perhaps a little more oil and water to the sauce…. The tomatoes were pure joy………cannot wait to try all the other recipes. Miriam..you have a wonderful gift…Thank You..x Lynn
Lynn Hi there and welcome here. Thanks so much for dropping by here with your comment and feedback – the dish is really a fusion of the Italian idea of ‘pesto’ but with a twist, a curry one. I am delighted that you enjoyed it and have to agree with you that the tomatoes are indeed a joy in this recipe and also a nice surprise/contrast (that is what I hoped to achieve) – I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog. Meantime Cheers and very Best to you.
Hi Mirian,
Could I use vegan sour cream to make this sauce? What is the amount then? Thanks!
Hi there and welcome here. You can use 1 cup of vegan sour cream – it’s all down to taste, I have not tasted it with sour cream, but it might actually be very good with it. Let me know how it goes. Cheers !
Your recipes are incredible. I have been a vegetarian for several years and never thought I could go vegan, but your food is so delicious I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything, and I feel better than I’ve felt in years. Can’t wait for your book.
Lori Hi there and welcome here – what a wonderful comment to drop by with ! Many, many thanks for your beautiful & inspiring words. My book should be out next year, I shall take your link and let you know closer to the time. I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best to you in the meantime.
This looks totally doable even for me. What is rucola? OMG everything looks so delicious Thank you so much for the inspiration.
I can’t wait to make this!
Cheers,
Susan
Susan Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment. Rucola is Rocket. I hope you make this and enjoy it – let me know how it goes. Meantime best to you !
When will you publish a cookbook so I can have all your wonderful recipes in one place!!!???
Julie Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment. As it happens my book is being published and should be out for sale in April (10 months from now) – there will be some recipes from here as well as some astounding additional ones too (lots of pictures of the recipes too). I shall take your details here and notify you closer to the time. Thanks for your interest and I look forward to your future comments here on my blog. Cheers to you in the meantime !
I Like all of your recipes, I have tried many of them in my kitchen and some mine & my hubby’s favorites are “My Pumpkin, Ginger & Eggplant Curry”, “Hot-Roast Chilli Bean Ratatouille”, “Rainbow Spring Rice Salad”, “Coconut Cream and Boroccoli Soup” and “Bella ‘Cheezy’ Frittata”. All of these are very delicious and I hope this one is also as delicious as your previous ones. I am definitely gonna cook this one and will let you know about my experience. You please keep sharing these wonderful and delicious recipes.
Katherine Hi there an welcome here. Many thanks for dropping by here with your comments and feedback on my recipes, I am delighted you have enjoyed all the recipes that you have tried here from my site. I think given what you have said that this pesto will go down well. You may also wish to try my new Moroccan Tagine recipe on my home page, just scroll down, and also my newly posted soup – I just get a feeling from your selected ‘taste’ you may well love them. I very much look forward to your future comments on my blog and send Best Wishes your way !
Cooked this tonight and it was perfect. Easy and quick to make + the bonus pride of having made a pesto from scratch and a dinner that could be from a restaurant.
again i must say thank you. you have made cooking something i absolutely look forward to.
(Ps: I HATE spinach but made this cause my partner loves it and even i loved the result. So if youre like me and you dont like spinach dont let that make you miss this recipe)
Hi there Ashley and thanks so much for dropping by here with your wonderful feedback. I can feel the vibe in your kitchen from here – yes, you sound like you are really enjoying the cooking experience and a kudos for that – I am only too pleased that my recipes and your endeavours are bringing smiles and satisfied stomachs around your table – sounds like a win-win situation. By the way, I agree with your PS note about the spinach – a handful of my recipes have spinach, but they are dressed and married with other ingredients that make it all so yummy (such as the Spanakopita Greek recipe). Best wishes your way once again, and keep at it Ashley !
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Thanks for the link.
This looks really, really good. How much sauce will this make and how much pasta should be cooked to go with the pesto sauce? And why I am at it, how many will this serve? There is only two of us and I am thinking of cutting the recipe in half.
Hi Claire and welcome here. It’s a little difficult to say exactly the amount as this is down to portion size. That said, you can make the recipe according to the instruction and if there is any left over, heat it up the next day. Once you have made the pesto, place it in an air tight jar pour a little olive oil on the surface, and take 2 heaped tablespoons out per person, that is how I gage pesto portions. Pasta for a medium sized portion should be approx 100 grams per person, add the 2 tablespoons of pesto to 100 grams of pasta. Boil 250 grams of pasta (men usually eat a little more than women) and then add 2 tbsps of the pesto per person, heat it up and then add your drained pasta to it, mix the lot up and serve – having already prepared the vine tomatoes which you then add on top. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Enjoy !
Hello Miriam greetings from London, UK! I made this yesterday and omitted the nuts as I have a severe nut allergy )-: I substituted the nuts with nutritional yeast and didn’t use cheese as I didn’t have any. It was really delicious and such a quick meal after a day’s work! Oh and used Kale instead of spinach – thanks for posting (-:
Debbie Hi there and welcome here. I am glad that you have made and enjoyed this recipe. I think that kale would have worked well instead of spinach. Are you allergic to seeds such as sunflower seeds ? If not you could toast a handful of them and then use them in lieu of the nuts next time. I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best wishes to you in the meantime !
Hi Miriam .Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I was searching for spicy vegetarian recipes and stumbled upon your blog. Waiting to try this recipe at home. I hope I get it as good as you. Thanks again.
Hi there Haley, thanks for dropping by here and I am glad you found my blog. Please note that many of my savoury recipes are spicy, so you may also wish to browse my category section and curries. Enjoy and let me know how this goes ! Cheers.
Hi Miriam, I made this last night with my friend who is not a vegan or vegetarian. I bought almonds instead of cashew nuts but it was the most delicious pesto I’ve had by far! My friend made the curry powder a little too hot for my liking but I loved this dish. I may have over estimated the pesto ingredients because I had enough pesto to do three more portions, which I was only too happy to have for the next couple of days. Another one of your dishes that I will definitely cook again! Thanks 😀
Sarah Hi there and thanks for your wonderful feedback. First of all I am glad that you and your non-vegan friend shared this meal together, and also that you had enough for the next two days – it’s always a bonus when that happens in the case where you loved the dish – saves so much time, and pesto keeps so well. Best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments on my blog ! Cheers.
Wow, I have just found your site and there are already a HEAP of these delicious recipes I want to try. They all look amazing and without too many complicated ingredients. Will definitely be bookmarking this one. Thank you so much!
Kate Hi there and glad you found my site. Hope you make and enjoy my recipes. Come back with your feedback as and when. Best wishes your way in the meantime !
This was the recipe that introduced me to your blog . I made it and my goodness it’s beautiful..
Will be making this again.
Juanita Hi there and welcome here. I am thrilled to hear this and glad you are making it again. That’s the thing with favourites, you can keep on coming back to them. I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Best wishes your way.
Hi Miriam
This looks so delicious and I have some beautiful basil growing in the veggie beds just waiting to be picked! Do I keep the coriander seeds whole? Seems a bit puzzling, but I will take your word for it and try them, if that’s the way you do it. Thank you for your lovely recipes ❤
Hi Chrissy and welcome here. Regarding the coriander seeds they are left whole. If you wish to have less of them, just half the quantity I suggested. Enjoy and let me know how it goes !
Wow, this was wonderful and the tomatoes complimented it really nicely. It was also very light and not greasy like a lot of shop bought pestos (not that I eat them now as they are not vegan). 😀
Hi Sharron, I am so glad you tried this one out ! I must agree with your feedback. Although it is rich it is not greasy and the cherry tomatoes create a kind of magic that contrasts so well with the pesto ! I look forward to your future comments on my blog.
WOW..this was soooo yummy, absolutely deliscious. I just love your recipes, you’re so clever. Thank you so much for helping me out in my vegan kitchen. Much love to you 🙂
Hi there Desleigh and welcome here. I am so glad that you made and enjoyed this pesto. Am also delighted that you love my recipes, how good of you to say so – am glad that I have been of some inspiration in your kitchen 🙂 Very best wishes your way and I look forward to your future comments and feedback on my blog !
This might be my new favourite pesto. An easy to make and a very delicious dish.
Hi there Line, I must admit I too favour this pesto – so glad you made and enjoyed it and that you will be making it again in the future. Best your way in the meantime. Cheers !
I have never liked the taste of pesto…but this pesto recipe made me do a U-turn LOL. BTW, my hubby and mother and son loved it :-). xoxo
That really is quite something Yasmine, thanks for letting me know ! 🙂
Hi Miriam. Thanks for the recipe-I will try it tomorrow for a pesto party. I make a lot of pesto but have never used cream. Can you tell me what type of cream you mean? I’m a little confused by the term. Thank you again, Lili
Blend 1 cup of raw cashews with the same amount of water until smooth – (you may wish/need to increase the amount of water, blend well and go by what you see in terms of texture, remember when you heat up nut creams they thicken quite a lot) – but voila – vegan cream at your fingertips. Enjoy and let me know how it all goes ! 🙂
Looking for more vegan ideas?
Thanks again Miriam for a lovely recipe. I made this tonight and used nutritional yeast instead of cheese, and water instead of cream. So delicious served with homemade gnocchi. Will definitely make again.
Hi there Alice, so glad you enjoyed it ! Hope you enjoy many more dishes from my blog. 🙂