High-Protein Vegan Pesto Alfredo with Chick’n

High-protein noodles are tossed in a tofu-based pesto alfredo sauce with vegan chicken and sundried tomatoes. This dish is easy to make, full of flavor, healthier, and perfect for meal prepping. If you love pesto and alfredo, then this vegan pesto alfredo dish deserves a spot on your recipes to make this week!

High-Protein

This vegan pesto alfredo penne has over 215 grams of protein in the entire recipe. If you get six servings out of the recipe, this breaks down to roughly 36 grams of protein per serving. Below I’ve broken down the amount of protein in the main ingredients in the dish!

Recipe Protein Breakdown

• One box of Banza penne pasta=80 grams of protein
• One 16 ounce package of high-protein super firm tofu=70 grams of protein
• One 8 ounce package of Sweet Earth’s vegan chicken (This is the chicken I typically use for this dish.)=50 grams
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast=12 grams of protein
• 1/4 cup of raw walnuts=4.5 grams of protein
• Total protein=roughly 216 grams for the whole recipe/36 grams per serving

This Vegan Pesto Alfredo Recipe is EASY to Make

For the sauce, I blend together high-protein super firm tofu, lots of fresh basil leaves, nutritional yeast, walnuts, garlic cloves, lemon juice, olive oil, and seasoning until super smooth. Then I heat it in a pot with cooked chickpea penne, vegan chicken, and sundried tomatoes. This recipe is very simple to make and requires basic cooking techniques.

This dish is so easy and on the healthy side, so I love making it on a Monday to enjoy as a healthy dinner or even lunch throughout the week. It’s full of garlicky pesto flavor, and the tofu makes the sauce so creamy, replicating a delicious alfredo sauce. And the addition of sundried tomatoes is the cherry on top of the dish because it adds a lovely sweet-tart flavor. I cannot wait for you to give this vegan pesto alfredo dish a try!

If you make any of my recipes, don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, tag me @chefsummerstorm, and #gardengrub so I can see your recreation!

High-Protein Vegan Pesto Alfredo with Chick’n

Author Chef Summer Storm – garden grub

High-protein noodles are tossed in a tofu-based pesto alfredo sauce with vegan chicken and sundried tomatoes. This recipe is easy to make and super flavorful!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

 

• One 8 ounce box Banza chickpea penne pasta
• One 8 ounce package favorite vegan chicken, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked according to package instructions
• 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and roughly chopped
• *Optional: vegan parmesan, grated, for garnishing

Pesto Alfredo Sauce

• One 16 ounce package high-protein super firm tofu
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, PACKED
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup raw walnuts
• 2 tbsp fresh garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Instructions

 

• Cook your pasta according to its package instructions, making sure to salt the cooking water.
• Before draining off the pasta, scoop out and save 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• After you've drained the pasta, rinse it off under cold water to stop it from cooking. Then, lightly drizzle and toss the pasta in olive oil to prevent it from sticking while preparing the rest of the recipe.

Pesto Alfredo Sauce

• Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend on medium-high/high until extremely smooth.
• Add the sauce, cooked pasta, cooked chicken, and sundried tomatoes to a big pot and warm it over medium-low heat until hot, stirring occasionally. If the sauce gets too thick when heating, add a splash of plant-based milk(like unsweetened almond, cashew or soy milk). Then, taste for seasoning, as adding more liquid will take away flavor, so you may need to add another pinch of salt or pepper.
• Garnish with a grating of vegan parmesan and a few small fresh basil leaves!
• ***When reheating leftovers, you will need to add a splash of plant-based milk. Otherwise, the pasta will be dry.

Keyword creamy vegan pasta, high protein vegan pasta, vegan alfredo sauce, vegan pesto, vegan pesto alfredo

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