Artichoke Pesto Pasta
A fun twist on regular pesto, this artichoke pesto pasta is made with frozen artichokes and walnuts! Tossed with pasta for a simple side dish or main.
You know we love pesto pasta in my house! I make a batch of my vegan pesto at least weekly for school lunches and to have in the fridge. If you love pesto like we do, then you’ll love this artichoke pesto version.
Made with frozen artichokes, basil (or parsley!) and walnuts– it’s a back-pocket recipe that’s easy to have on hand for quick weeknight dinners. The artichoke pesto is ready in the same amount of time it takes to cook the pasta, which means you can have a simple dinner (or lunch) on the table in just 20 minutes.
See below for step-by-step directions, tips and additional details, or scroll down to the full recipe at the bottom.
Everything You Need to Make this Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Using artichokes in this pesto creates a creamy, silken pesto sauce that’s perfect with hot pasta. The trick is to time the pesto with the pasta– you’ll want to add the warm pasta right to the artichoke pesto and then toss it together with the cheese.
This coats the pasta and almost melts the sauce into the noodles– it’s so delicious!
Using frozen artichokes also cuts down significantly on prep time without as much added oil as using jarred artichoke hearts.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Artichoke Hearts: I prefer thawed from frozen artichoke hearts for this recipe, as I like the texture of frozen over jarred or canned artichoke hearts. You can find them in most grocery stores in the frozen vegetable section.
- Basil: I prefer basil, but I’ve also used parsley in this recipe, and that works!
- Lemon: The acidity in the lemon helps to cut through the richness of the pesto and adds brightness.
- Walnuts: I like using walnuts as they are less expensive than pine nuts or other nuts. I find that walnuts provide a creamy, rich flavor, like pine nuts. Pistachios are also great!
How to Make this Artichoke Pesto
Process the Pesto Ingredients
Place all ingredients for the pesto in a food processor.
Pulse until finely chopped
Pulse until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Add the olive oil
With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil through the chute until a creamy paste forms, with some texture from the nuts and basil still there.
Toss with Pasta
Place the artichoke pesto in a bowl or empty pasta pan and add the warm pasta, toss to combine. Add the cheese and toss again.
More Pesto Recipes
- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Pizza with Tomatoes
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
- Pesto Orzo with White Beans
- Grilled Tofu Kebobs with Mint Pesto
If you try this artichoke pesto pasta, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!
Artichoke Pesto Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta, preferably rotini, farfalle or other short pasta
- 1 12-ounce package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed down
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese*
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, reserving 1/2 cup water.
- Place the artichoke hearts, basil, walnuts, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in the base of a food processor. Process on low until roughly chopped, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides.
- With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until well combined.
- Add the pesto to a bowl and add in the warm pasta, and toss until just combined. Add in the cheese and toss together again until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add in a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to thin.