I really can’t get over pesto! On the contrary, my eternal love towards this classic Italian pasta sauce has gone a notch up when I made this vegan pesto fusilli with zucchini and asparagus using my homemade avocado basil pesto!
This is not a cheat meal recipe!
I do not believe in cheat days! With my experience of 34 kgs/75 pounds of weight loss, I truly believe that real success lies in everyday habits!
A single uncontrolled cheat day, even once in a month, can ruin your weeks of effort and hard work within minutes! But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy good food!
You definitely can! And you must! Simply because mindful eating is a lifelong habit and not a sprint!
You can enjoy good food by becoming smart about it! By being smart I simply mean controlling certain parameters of your meals.
Like being conscious of the portion you are consuming; or having it at the right time and not as a random meal.
For example, a high carb dish like this pesto fusilli is best suited for a fulfilling lunch or even weekend brunch in a moderate portion no matter how tasty it is!
Then you would have enough time to digest the food during the course of the day and carb will give you a good amount of energy to carry out your planned chores. Win-win!
What is Pesto Fusilli with Zucchini and Asparagus?
I know we all love a warm bowl of cheesy & creamy pasta! But it’s going to be a little different today!
This vegan pesto fusilli with zucchini and asparagus is that mind-blowing cheeseless pasta that’s going to win you over today without even a single strand of cheese!
I was inspired by the recipe shared in this blog by blogger Kee as it looked very delicious even without any cheese which I try to minimize due to my fat-loss target.
And it came out as a winner! Especially in the summer when you have the freshest produce of these green veggies with abundance!
Ingredients for Pesto Fusilli with zucchini and asparagus
Pesto: I really have written a lot about basil pesto in various posts and made it uncountable times; so I am out of vocabulary now to describe it further!
Once you make the basil pesto at home, you cannot go back to the store-bought version; I can guarantee that!
With avocado, this vegan version of pesto is extra special as it is extra-creamy thanks to the soft & creamy texture of avocado. Try it & I can bet you won’t miss the cheese!
Fusilli: Since the name of this recipe is pesto fusilli, you cannot use any other type of pasta here! Lol!
I already have shared many more pasta with pesto recipes which you must check out; but this vegan one with avocado hits different!
The fusilli spirals soak up the creamy pesto sauce so intimately converting each pasta into a flavor capsule which bursts in your mouth giving you an exceptional experience!
Asparagus: I will be honest that I haven’t used asparagus a lot till date; but now that it has become easier to access this veggie in Indian markets, I am sure gonna add it into more dishes.
While making this all veggie pesto fusilli using asparagus, I realized how fast it cooks making it such a charm to work with! And that soul-satisfying crunch! Loved it!
Now I know why asparagus is loved so much in western countries and what’s all the fuss about it!
Zucchini: This popular summer vegetable is at its peak of production now and you must get the best out of it! Plus it tastes amazing too!
This pesto fusilli pasta is definitely a remarkable way to sneak in this goodie into your delicious pasta meal! The softness of zucchini pairs beautifully with the crunch of asparagus and creates a match made in heaven!
Garlic: This aromatic is my personal favorite as I love the flavor of garlic way too much! You can skip this as the basil pesto already has garlic in it.
Extra-virgin olive oil: If you are making the pesto following my recipe, you will need a good amount of extra virgin olive oil and that too in good quantity.
For assembling the pesto fusilli, you will need about a couple tablespoons of olive oil to sauté the aromatics with the pesto to bring out maximum flavors from both.
Plus maybe a little more to drizzle on top while serving to add that extra punch of olive oil flavor which complements pesto wonderfully!
How to make Pesto Fusilli with zucchini and asparagus?
For the vegan avocado basil pesto recipe, please check out my vegan avocado pesto pasta recipe.
Step 1: Boil heavily salted water in a large saucepan. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the fusilli pasta.
Step 2: Cook the fusilli on medium heat until they are al dente i.e. soft but not breaking apart; this would take about 10 to 12 minutes on medium heat.
Step 3: When you are happy with the texture of your fusilli, switch off the flame. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water in a bowl.
Step 4: Then drain the remaining water out of the pasta by pouring them into a colander situated over a kitchen sink.
Step 5: Rinse the pasta with running water just for a few seconds, then leave it inside the colander at the counter top beside the kitchen sink to let all the water drip off.
Step 6: While the pasta was cooking, you can prepare the veggies. Trim off the hard end of each asparagus and cut each into 3 pieces to keep them 2-inch long. Wash them well, drain and set aside.
Step 7: Wash the zucchini first and then slice it into thin rounds of about 1-cm thickness. Set them aside.
Step 8: Heat a frying pan and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to it.
Step 9: Once the oil is warm, add the sliced zucchini preferably in a single layer and let them cook for a few minutes until the surface turns golden brown.
Step 10: Then flip them over and let the other side cook and turn golden brown. It would take about 5 minutes each side to cook the zucchini.
Pro tip: Sauté your zucchini in batches and do not pile all of them together; then they will release too much moisture into the oil and become totally mushy. That won’t taste good, trust me!
Secondly, do not add salt while frying the zucchini for the same reason; salt will extract too much water out of the zucchini making them wilted and soggy.
Step 11: Take out all the fried zucchini in a bowl and cook the remaining slices similarly. Once done, set them aside while you cook the asparagus.
Step 12: Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan. Once the oil is warm, add the asparagus and fry them on medium-low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 13: Asparagus cooks very fast; do not overcook them. Take them out in a bowl and set aside.
Step 14: Now we are ready to assemble the pesto fusilli! Heat a large pot and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Step 15: Once the oil is slightly warm, add the minced garlic and sauté it on medium flame for 1 minute until fragrant.
Step 16: Now add the avocado basil pesto to the pan and sauté it on low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes until the oil starts to release from the pesto.
Step 17: The pesto will turn very glossy as the oil starts to release. Now add the cooked fusilli to the pot and using a rubber spatula start stirring carefully to coat each pasta with the pesto.
Pro tip: Ensure that the soft pasta does not break as it will take some stirring to coat each fusilli with the vibrant green pesto.
Step 18: Sprinkle a little of the reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, over the pasta to help mix them with the pesto.
Step 19: Next add the sautéed asparagus and zucchini slices, give a mix and do a taste test before seasoning your pesto fusilli with salt & pepper to taste and give a final mix.
Your pesto fusilli is ready to serve!
Step 20: Transfer the vegan pesto fusilli with zucchini & asparagus to a large serving platter and garnish it with fresh basil leaves. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!
More delicious pasta recipes from Flavor Quotient (Not using pesto)
- Pasta Alla Norma | Sicilian Eggplant Pasta
- Pasta with Summer Vegetables and Grilled Chicken
- Creamy Mushroom Spaghetti in White Sauce
- Fusilli pasta - 250 gms
- Avocado basil pesto - 1 cup
- Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, minced
- Asparagus - 15-20
- Zucchini - 1, medium
- Extra virgin olive oil as required
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Boil heavily salted water in a large saucepan. When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the fusilli pasta.
- Cook the fusilli on medium heat until they are al dente i.e. soft but not breaking apart; this would take about 10 to 12 minutes on medium heat.
- When you are happy with the texture of your fusilli, switch off the flame. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water in a bowl.
- Then drain the remaining water out of the pasta by pouring them into a colander situated over a kitchen sink.
- Rinse the pasta with running water just for a few seconds, then leave it inside the colander at the counter top beside the kitchen sink to let all the water drip off.
- While the pasta was cooking, you can prepare the veggies. Trim off the hard end of each asparagus and cut each into 3 pieces to keep them 2-inch long. Wash them well, drain and set aside.
- Wash the zucchini first and then slice it into thin rounds of about 1-cm thickness. Set them aside.
- Heat a frying pan and add about a tablespoon of olive oil to it.
- Once the oil is warm, add the sliced zucchini preferably in a single layer and let them cook for a few minutes until the surface turns golden brown.
- Then flip them over and let the other side cook and turn golden brown. It would take about 5 minutes each side to cook the zucchini.**
- Take out all the fried zucchini in a bowl and cook the remaining slices similarly. Once done, set them aside while you cook the asparagus.
- Heat another tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan. Once the oil is warm, add the asparagus and fry them on medium-low flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Asparagus cooks very fast; do not overcook them. Take them out in a bowl and set aside.
- Now we are ready to assemble the pesto fusilli! Heat a large pot and add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
- Once the oil is slightly warm, add the minced garlic and sauté it on medium flame for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Now add the avocado basil pesto to the pan and sauté it on low flame for about 8 to 10 minutes until the oil starts to release from the pesto.
- The pesto will turn very glossy as the oil starts to release. Now add the cooked fusilli to the pot and using a rubber spatula start stirring carefully to coat each pasta with the pesto.***
- Sprinkle a little of the reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time, over the pasta to help mix them with the pesto.
- Next add the sautéed asparagus and zucchini slices, give a mix and do a taste test before seasoning your pesto fusilli with salt & pepper to taste and give a final mix.
- Your pesto fusilli is ready to serve!
- Transfer the vegan pesto fusilli with zucchini & asparagus to a large serving platter and garnish it with fresh basil leaves. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil and enjoy!
Secondly, do not add salt while frying the zucchini for the same reason; salt will extract too much water out of the zucchini making them wilted and soggy.
***Pro tip: Ensure that the soft pasta does not break as it will take some stirring to coat each fusilli with the vibrant green pesto.
You may also like:
Vegan Avocado Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes | No-Cheese Vegan Pesto Pasta Recipe
Fusilli with Pesto and Chicken | Easy Weeknight Chicken Pesto Pasta
Pesto Rigatoni | Meatless Rigatoni Pasta with Basil Pesto
Basil Pesto Spaghetti | Simple Meatless Pasta with Basil Pesto
Pesto Shrimp Spaghetti *Video Recipe*
Penne Pasta in Red Sauce | Restaurant Style Meatless Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce
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