This Easy Pesto White Bean Pasta is made with just four ingredients in one pan and ready in about 15 minutes! This recipe is easily made gluten-free and makes the perfect easy vegan dinner.

I’m a pesto pasta girl. Well, really, I’m just a pesto girl. Whether it’s a classic green pesto or a delicious umami red pesto, I love them all. I’ll spread it on sandwiches, add it to galettes, and, of course, toss it with all the pasta and cauliflower gnocchi.

One of my favorite things about pesto is the ease that it creates. I always have a batch of homemade pesto in the fridge and make a ton of it in the summer to keep stocked in the freezer so I’m never without. With a batch of pesto, you can have a quick and easy vegan dinner ready in just 15 minutes. This White Bean Pesto Pasta is the most perfect example of that: easy, quick, flavorful, and so delicious.

Why make this pesto white bean pasta recipe:

  • Ready in about 15 minutes: just boil the pasta until al dente and stir in everything else!
  • Easily gluten-free & vegan: use a gluten-free pasta and vegan pesto!
  • Made in one-pot
  • Super flavorful
  • Quick & easy to make: most of the ingredients are probably sitting in your pantry.
  • Loaded with protein-packed white beans
  • Perfect for meal prep

Ingredients

  • Pasta: Any of your favorite noodles will work, but I love a short pasta for this recipe. I used gluten-free brown rice elbows! Fusilli is a great choice as well.
  • White Beans: My favorite for this recipe is creamy cannellini beans, but butter beans, chickpeas, or any type of white bean will work well.
  • Pesto: I’ve included some of my favorite pesto recipes below, but store-bought will work just as well, making this recipe super easy to put together.
  • Greens: Use quick-cooking leafy greens to make this recipe come together super quickly, like spinach and/or baby kale.

My favorite pestos to use

I love a good homemade pesto, but store-bought works well too! Make sure to use a vegan pesto if you’re vegan or dairy-free.

  • Spinach Basil Pesto: a classic green basil pesto that is loaded up with extra greens!
  • Pesto Rosso (Sun-dried Tomato Pesto): This red pesto makes for a different flavor profile for this recipe, but it will be SO good here with the white beans!
  • Fennel Frond Pesto: This pesto uses fennel fronds for a herby, earthy pesto that is so flavorful and tasty!
  • Carrot Top Pesto: another zero-waste pesto, made with carrot tops and super delicious!
  • Trader Joe’s Kale Basil Vegan Pesto: I find this pesto usually needs extra salt and lemon for my tastes, but it works so well in a pinch! I always have some in my freezer.

Tip for the best white bean pasta

  • Use your favorite beans! I love the creaminess of cannellini beans, but any of your favorites work – garbanzos or great northern beans would be great.
  • Add more veggies. The greens here really do it for me, but sautéed mushrooms, roasted broccoli, asparagus, peas, cherry tomatoes, or any other of your favorite veggies would be great additions to this recipe to pack in some extra nutrients.
  • Garnish generously! I topped mine with chili crisp for a little heat (red pepper flakes would also be great), plus some vegan parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Nutritional yeast would be a delicious addition, too, for a little extra protein boost! Herbs & toasted nuts would make a great topping as well.

How to store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat on the stove over low to medium heat with a lid on, or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.

You can also prep this dish ahead of time for meal prep and divide it into airtight containers for storage. This easy vegan meal is great cold, too!

More easy vegan dinners:

Rachel Conners

Easy White Bean Pesto Pasta

5 from 3 reviews
This Easy White Bean Pesto Pasta is made with four ingredients and ready in about 15 minutes! This recipe is easily made gluten-free and vegan, and makes the perfect easy vegan dinner.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 8 oz. pasta of choice, I used gluten-free brown rice elbows
  • 1 15 oz. can white beans, I used cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 8 oz. 1 cup pesto sauce, vegan if needed, Trader Joe's vegan pesto works great here!
  • 2 to 3 cups baby greens, like spinach, kale, or chard
  • Salt & pepper, to taste
  • Chili crisp, parmesan, lemon juice, to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta according to the package directions. Reserve about one cup of pasta cooking liquid. Drain, rinse if called for, and set aside.
    8 oz. pasta of choice
  • In a medium saute pan, heat the white beans. Add the pesto and stir to combine, adding pasta water to thin out the pesto to a thinner, saucier consistency. Add the greens and cover for one minute to help them wilt more quickly. Remove lid, and stir until the pesto is warmed through and the greens are wilted.
    1 15 oz. can white beans, 8 oz. 1 cup pesto sauce, 2 to 3 cups baby greens
  • Stir in the pasta, adding more pasta water as needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.
    Salt & pepper
  • Serve and garnish with chili crisp for spice, Parmesan (vegan if needed) and/or lemon juice if you like it extra tangy. Enjoy!
    Chili crisp

Notes

  • You can use any pesto you like here – I love this spinach basil pesto, pesto Rosso (sun-dried tomato pesto), fennel frond pesto, and carrot top pesto!
  • I love the creaminess of cannellini beans, but Great Northern beans, Navy beans, or even garbanzo beans are all great options.
  • If you prefer to use a more mature green, like kale, chard, or collards, cut them thin and saute in a bit of oil & salt to soften before adding in the beans and pesto.
  • I topped mine with chili crisp for a little heat, plus some vegan parmesan and lemon juice. Hemp seeds, fresh herbs, & toasted nuts would make great toppings as well.
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