Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta is delicious and refreshing dinner recipe. This healthy and delicious pasta is loaded with plant based protein and filled with veggies. Al dente spaghetti is tossed with juicy cherry tomatoes, tender broccoli, fresh herbs and homemade silky lemon basil creamy sauce. It is beautiful, fresh, and full of flavors.

This basil pasta is suitable for gluten free, dairy free, soy free and vegan. The ingredients used are wholesome and  nutritional dense.

This freshly home cooked meal is full of plant protein, superfoods and whole grain pasta. It is also well balanced with complex carbs,  fiber, and good fat, vitamins and minerals. You will be happy feeding your soul with this nourishing meal.

Easy and light pasta meals are welcome any time of the year in our kitchen. We love to mix and match ingredients and marinades to create dynamo dinners to elevate the dinner mood vibes. And I am sure you will love to add it in your dinner menu rotations too.

So for warm breezy summer nights, this lemon basil pasta will ideally take a center stage along with fresh green salad and frizzy drink. On the other hand, for cold, blustery winter nights, use it to elevate the mood and spirit with it's bright and refreshing taste. So go ahead and enjoy it every time you need a mood boost.

You can tailor it to the season, your preferences, and there truly is no right or wrong.. whatever foodie wants, foodie gets !

Recipe Highlights

• It’s quick, easy, filling and affordable.
• It's perfect pick me up meal for any season.
• It's veggie packed, flavor packed and nutritional dense.
• It can easily be made for meal prep.

Ingredients

Pasta - I am using gluten free spaghetti as a base for this recipe. You can use and choose whichever type and shape of pasta you have readily available.

Vegetables - I had pint of cherry tomatoes and fresh broccoli in my refrigerator. That worked beautifully for getting a nice bite and adding freshness to the recipe. Again,  no hard and fast rule. Use any or all the veggies you have and like. More the merrier!

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta Sauce : This is where the flavors take a center stage and shine bright . Cashews, basil, lemon juice, garlic and dash of salt and pepper is all you need. Similar to Basil Pesto Without Pine nuts, this lemon basil sauce is just AMAZING. It can be used as a sauce for dipping, or as a salad dressing too.

This creamy basil pasta is destined to become a new favorite dinner or potluck / picnic crowd pleaser. You can make it ahead of time and just add more dressing before serving for the perfect dish everyone will love.

All it takes is less than 30 minutes to make this  bright, bold and tantalizing Basil pasta. It couldn’t be any easier or simpler. You can serve it warm or cold.

And you can customize the ingredients with your favorite veggies. Drool worthy, luxurious Lemon Basil Sauce is all you need to bring a win home.

How to Make

Make the lemon basil pasta sauce : Blend cashews with packed cup of fresh basil, juice of half lemon, garlic pods, salt and pepper with some water.

Pro Tip : I prefer to use my Ninja Food Processor. The smoothie attachment is perfect for making all kinds of puree and dressings/ marinades too.

Make the Pasta : Boil and drain your pasta according to package directions.
Prepare the veggies : Chop and sauté veggies of your choice with olive oil.
Put it all together : Toss and mix all the pasta, sautted veggies in the sauce. Sprinkle the garnishes on the top. Serve and enjoy !

Serving and storing

This refreshing and lightened up lemon pasta tastes best after sitting for a bit. So all the ingredients have a chance to absorb the flavors of the dressing.

Serve it with side of Air Fryer Garlic Toast or Italian Bruschetta for a scrumptious homemade meal. You can also serve it along with Air Fryer Zucchini no breading or Air Fryer Roasted Asparagus.

It can stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Use air tight containers to preserve the fresh flavors.

How To Make Pasta In Instant Pot

To make pasta in Instant Pot or electrical pressure cooker is super simple. Pour pasta in the main insert. Add a teaspoon of oil and salt. Pour just enough water to cover the pasta. DO NOT SUBMERGE. Close the lid. Place the knob in Sealing position.

Now the fun part to select the cooking time. Read the cooking time on the pasta package. You want to choose ½ that time. So for example, if the pasta box suggests you to boil pasta for 8 minutes, for InstantPot you should choose 4 minutes. 

Let it sit for 4 min after it beeps when cooking is done. Then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve to venting. (QPR) . Your delicious pasta is ready to go.

Our Favorite Pasta Recipes

• Pasta Fresca
• Penne Rosa
• Beet Pesto Pasta
• Penne Pesto Primavera
• Pan Fried Gnocchi
• Chickpea Pasta with Broccoli

📖 Recipe

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

Prajakta Sukhatme

Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta is delicious and refreshing dinner recipe. This pasta with basil recipe is vegan and full of fresh vibrant flavors.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 cups

Calories 149 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 12 ounces pasta I used gluten free spaghetti
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt and ground black pepper

To Make Lemon Basil Pasta Sauce:

• 1 cup roasted cashews
• 1 cup packed fresh basil
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ lemon juiced
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder adjust per taste

Instructions

 

Boil the Spaghetti

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add some salt the water. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Sauté the veggies

• Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add broccoli florets. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the color wilts and florets are tender. ( about 5-7 minutes) Turn off the heat.

Make the creamy lemon basil sauce

• Add all the sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. You can store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week

Finish Creamy Lemon Basil Pasta

• Once the broccoli is ready, add the drained pasta and tomatoes to the skillet. Pour the lemon basil cashew cream sauce over top. Using a tongs, toss to combine everything. Add a little bit of the reserved starchy pasta water so everything coats well together.
• Taste and adjust seasoning if required. Sprinkle some fresh chopped basil, cracked pepper or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, as desired. Serve and enjoy! Bon appetit !!

Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker Instructions :

• Start Instantpot on SAUTE mode and add oil in the main steel insert. Wait for couple minutes so oil warms up. Add broccoli florets. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the color wilts and florets are tender. ( about 3-5 minutes) . Cancel SAUTE. Remove the broccoli and set aside.
• Pour the spaghetti in the steel insert. Add a teaspoon of oil and salt. Pour just enough water to cover the pasta. DO NOT SUBMERGE. Close the lid.
• Place the knob in SEALING position. Press MANUAL ( or PRESURE COOK) Choose 4 minutes. After IP does cooking, wait on keep warm timer for 4 minutes and then release the leftover pressure by turning the valve to VENTING. Drain excess liquid (if any) in the sink and your cooked pasta is ready.
• Follow steps 3, 4 and 5 as above. Bon Appetit!!

Notes

You can serve this pasta warm or cold. It can be prepared several hours in advance. Leftovers taste AWESOME! It makes a delightful lunch option so you can make a big batch and save for later too. My kids love this meal in their school lunchbox.

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