Creamy pesto, coconut “bacon,” avocado, garbanzo beans, tomatoes…this pasta dish practically screams summer! But this quick and easy vegan meal is perfect to enjoy all year long.

June 30, 2020 Updated May 5, 2021 Jump to Recipe
Creamy pesto, coconut “bacon,” avocado, garbanzo beans, tomatoes…this pasta dish practically screams summer! But this quick and easy vegan meal is perfect to enjoy all year long.
I had a few errands to run in LA yesterday. The highlight of the trip was that I had a little extra time to stop by my favorite place, Ladurée, for macarons. And I stopped at my favorite chocolate shop to the stars, Edelweiss Chocolates.
Errands are always a little easier to handle when you get chocolate and macarons out of the deal, right? 😋
Still, it was a pretty exhausting day, so when I got home last night, I was immediately relieved when I remembered that dinner was already made, and I could just take it easy.
I made this Creamy Pesto Pasta with Coconut “Bacon” in the morning before I left, so all we had to do to get dinner on the table was take it out of the fridge and serve! Creamy pesto, garbanzo beans, avocado, tomato, and my coconut “bacon” make this vegan dish a meal all by itself.
This is certainly one of those meals that’s great cold, room temperature, or warm. And since I blanched the basil before making the pesto, the pesto was still brilliant green by the time we enjoyed dinner.
Have you blanched basil before?
It’s so easy, all you do is bring a small pot of water to a boil, submerge the basil for about 15 seconds, then strain the basil, and immediately place it in a bowl of cold water. Pat the leaves dry, and make pesto!
This extra step will help your homemade pesto stay green longer without preservatives. It’s a trick I don’t do all the time, but with a pasta dish like this that can be enjoyed over several meals—or if we’re entertaining—I want that pesto to stay gorgeous green as long as possible, and blanching is the way to go.
Now to the “bacon.” If you’re vegan, you’re probably already a fan of coconut as a surprisingly accurate bacon clone. And if you’ve never had it before, you must give it a try!
Coconut chips get that crispy, bacon texture when baked. So all you have to do is add that bacon flavor with a little bit of maple syrup, Bragg Liquid Aminos, liquid smoke, and olive oil. Just toss it all together, bake for 10 minutes, and you’ve got delicious plant-based bacon that’s great in this pasta dish, and for topping just about anything you can think of. I also have a tendency to just snack on this coconut “bacon” all day long, all by itself…
Coconut chips aren’t available everywhere, so I found my favorite brand here on Amazon [aff. link]. You’ll love these coconut chips for “bacon,” and as a stand alone snack.
And in case you’re unfamiliar with Bragg Liquid Aminos, it’s basically a healthier and tastier alternative to soy sauce. Since trying Bragg Liquid Aminos years ago, I’ve stopped using soy sauce: the flavor of Bragg’s is so much richer and smokier, yet there’s no salt added and it’s lower in sodium. So it tastes better and it’s healthier…who wouldn’t be a fan??
If you don’t have Bragg Liquid Aminos at your grocery store, here it is on Amazon [aff. link]. Trust me, coconut “bacon” is not the only deliciousness you’ll make with this stuff, it’s so good!
Make my Creamy Pesto Pasta with Coconut “Bacon” this week, and appreciate the relaxed evening this quick, easy, and completely delicious meal will bring!
This Post Has 6 Comments
I love the color palatte on this pasta. And the ingredient list! Liquid smoke! Maple syrup! Coconut chips! Basil! Cashews! Avocado! I’m in!
Thanks so much Jeff! That’s right, we’re both liquid smoke fans! Can’t get enough of that smoky flavor, and it’s such a great way to replicate that bacon taste here on the coconut chips. 😋
The flavours in this pasta are just amazing, Shannon! I love the idea of using coconut bacon and then finishing off this wonderful meal with some of those gorgeous Laduree macarons. They look so tempting! Enjoy!
Thanks Katerina! Doesn’t get much better than pesto for dinner and macarons for dessert in my book! 😋
What an interesting idea about coconut bacon, Shannon! That’s a new one to me, and I’m quite intrigued. We aren’t vegan here, but I still love to learn about different recipes and ways to cook different ingredients. Pretty cool concept! Also, the blanching pesto is a good trick. I normally don’t do it – but it’s mainly because I forget. This sounds like a delicious meal…I love those nights when dinner is simple! 🙂
Thanks David! Oh, coconut bacon is absolutely addicting, and you’ll be surprised how close to the real thing it tastes! Yes, I’m the same way, usually forget to blanche my basil before making pesto haha. But every time I remember to, I’m amazed at how much more brilliant the green stays!