Pasta with pesto…does it get much better than that? This is the easiest dairy-free pesto that packs so much flavor, and combined with cherry tomatoes cooked in white wine, is a match made in heaven!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love all things pasta. And then some. So when that pasta craving hit this weekend, and I had come across some lovely large bunches of basil at the garden farm market, the stars aligned and this dish was born! I would happily tuck in to pasta with pesto, but the cherry tomatoes add something really special. They are incredibly flavorful when cooked with the seasoning and white wine, and add such delicious sweet yet tangy note to this dish.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb. tagliatelle
- 2 large bunches fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil + 1 teaspoon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 minced garlic cloves, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1.5 T nutritional yeast
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/3 cup white wine
DIRECTIONS:
- Bring water to boil in a large pot to cook pasta, and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain and drizzle in a small amount of olive oil and gently toss.
- Meanwhile while water is coming to boil, make the pesto by blending in a food processor the basil, 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast.
- In a saute pan over medium heat, add the 1 teaspoon olive oil. When hot, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper.
- Add wine, stir, and cook until wine reduces until there is about a quarter of the liquid left. This should take about 4-5 minutes, but keep an eye on it. Wine should be bubbling away during this process.
- Add pesto to pasta, gently toss, and top with cherry tomatoes.
- Enjoy!