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 recipe is easy to make and super flavorful!
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.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!