When life gets in the way of making a quick dinner, I always go for a one-pot pasta meal my family will love. Pesto Pasta with Mushrooms all cooks in one-pot in under 20 minutes, which is a win-win when I am in a hurry. Even though I sometimes need a quick and easy meal, my pesto pasta with mushrooms recipe is healthy, oil-free, but-free, and soy-free. So, let's make easy pesto pasta with mushrooms.
Not only is pesto pasta with mushrooms easy to make, but it also has very few ingredients, which makes cooking in one-pot even easier. I absolutely love mushrooms! In fact, I think mushrooms go with pasta as peanut butter goes with jelly.
For those of you who want to lose weight, I always have a small portion of pasta and a large salad instead of the other way around. Another weight loss tip is to add more vegetables to ratio of pasta when you make pasta, so you have less pasta and more vegetables. Remember, its all about nutrient-density.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED FOR PESTO PASTA RECIPE
- 16 ounces pasta of choice (I used whole-grain penne, but gluten-free pasta can be used as well)
- 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large white onion, sliced thin in strips
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup pesto of choice
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 sprigs rosemary, stem removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese (optional)
WHAT KIND OF PESTO IS IN THIS PASTA RECIPE?
Because I don't cook with oil, I chose my pesto recipe from my Vegan Pesto Pasta recipe. In that post, I provide a homemade vegan pesto without any oil or nuts!
Another option is store-bought vegan pesto, such as Trader Joe's Kale Pesto, but that version has oil. Regardless of which pesto recipe you choose, you only need ½ cup of pesto for the entire recipe.
WHAT IS NUTRITIONAL YEAST AND WHAT ARE IT'S BENEFITS?
Nutritional yeast comes either in the form of flakes or as a powder. It has a savory, nutty, or cheesy flavor.
People can add it as a savory seasoning to a variety of dishes, including pasta, vegetables, and salads.
Some ways to use nutritional yeast include:
- sprinkling it on popcorn instead of butter or salt
- mixing it into risotto instead of Parmesan cheese
- making a vegan alternative to a cheese sauce, such as the one in this recipe
- as an ingredient in a vegan macaroni and cheese dish, such as this one
- stirring it into creamy soups for added nutrients
- adding it to scrambled eggs or a tofu scramble
- mixing it into a nut roast or stuffing
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
- 60 calories
- 8 grams (g) of protein
- 3 g of fiber
- 11.85 milligrams (mg) of thiamine, or vitamin B-1
- 9.70 mg of riboflavin, or vitamin B-2
- 5.90 mg of vitamin B-6
- 17.60 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B-12
It also contains vitamin B-3, potassium, calcium, and iron.
The benefits that nutritional yeast may offer people include:
- Boosts energy
- Supports the immune system
- Promotes skin, hair, and nail health
- Improves glucose sensitivity
- Supports a healthy pregnancy
HOW TO COOK ONE-POT PESTO PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS
Since everything cooks in one-pot, pesto pasta with mushrooms is simple to make. First, simply saute the onions, garlic, mushrooms and rosemary. For example, I always use a little vegetable broth instead of oil to prevent sticking. Then, add the pasta, vegetable broth, pesto, and nutritional yeast.
As a result, the rest happens while it cooks in the pot. When the cover comes off 15 minutes later, you have dinner and only one pot to clean up. And, it reheats wonderfully for lunch the next day, unless you eat it all 🙂
The next time you are in a hurry, don't grab unhealthy drive-through food. Instead, make savory pesto pasta recipe with mushrooms, and eat healthily! Great food doesn't have to have a ton of ingredients or be difficult to cook. And clean up should be quick and painless.
LOOKING FOR QUICK AND EASY ONE POT RECIPES? HERE YOU GO!
- One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta
- Vegan Jambalaya Recipe Quick, Easy and Spicy
- Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe
- Vegan Pasta Primavera
- Vegan Cajun Pasta
- Creamy Spicy Vegan Sausage Pasta
📖 Recipe
Pesto Pasta with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta of choice I used whole-grain penne, but gluten-free pasta can be used as well
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 large white onion sliced thin in strips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup pesto of choice
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 sprigs rosemary stem removed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Garnish (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves
- Vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Saute the onions and garlic until translucent
- Add a little vegetable broth if onions begin to stick
- Now, add the mushrooms and cook until browned
- Then add chopped rosemary
- Stir in dried pasta of choice
- Add 6 cups of vegetable broth and stir
- Add ½ cup pesto and ½ cup nutritional yeast
- Stir and bring to a rapid boil.
- Cover and reduce heat simmer and allow to cook for 15 minutes
- When the time is up, uncover the pot and stir.
- Turn off heat and uncover
- Stir and allow to sit for a few minutes befoe serving
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Lesley Holden
Came across this recipe today. I had no nutritional yeast so just left it out. It tastes really nice without it anyway. Cant wait to try more healthier recipes.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lesley, I'm glad you liked the pesto pasta with mushrooms. Let me know if you try any other recipes. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.