Vegan Powerhouse Pesto Pasta - $5.87 a serving
Every non-staple ingredient matched to a real product on the shelf, priced on 2026-07-19 at Kroger - Kroger On the Rhine (ZIP 45202). 1 pantry staples excluded. 1 match is flagged for you to check rather than silently swapped. Prices change without notice - this is what we paid attention to on that date, not a quote.
| The recipe says | We found | Package | Uses | Costs | Left over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pound quinoa pasta (we like macaroni)CHECK THIS | Barilla Gluten Free Elbows Non-GMO Project Certified Pasta · 12 ozx2 | $2.99 | 454 g | $3.99 | $1.99 |
| 2 units ripe avocados (pitted and flesh scooped out) | Fresh Large Ripe Avocado · 1 eachx2 | $2.50 | 2 | $5.00 | - |
| 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves | Kroger® Tender Baby Spinach Bag Salad · 10 oz | $2.19 | 30 g | $0.23 | $1.96 |
| 4 cups fresh basil leaves (plus a few leaves reserved for garnish) | Gotham Greens® Fresh Basil · 1.25 ozx3 | $3.99 | 100 g | $11.26 | $0.71 |
| 1/2 cup walnuts | Simple Truth® Halves & Pieces Walnuts · 9 oz | $5.99 | 60 g | $1.41 | $4.58 |
| 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed, 15-ounce) | Kroger® Cannellini Beans · 15.5 oz | $1.00 | 425 g | $0.97 | $0.03 |
| 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice | Fresh Large Lemon - Each · 1 each | $0.85 | 1 | $0.85 | - |
| 1 clove garlic (minced) | Kroger® Whole Garlic Bulbs · 5 ct | $2.49 | 1 | $0.50 | $1.99 |
| 1/4 cup olive oil | Simple Truth Organic® Extra Virgin Olive Oil · 16.9 fl oz | $8.49 | 60 ml | $1.02 | $7.47 |
| 1 cup grape tomatoes (cut in half) | Kroger® Fresh Grape Tomatoes · 10 oz | $2.99 | 150 g | $1.58 | $1.41 |
fresh basil drives this basket at $11.97, 25% of the total. The next biggest lines are olive oil ($8.49) and walnuts ($5.99). $20.14 of the basket - 43% - is package remainder: food you buy because stores sell packages and recipes call for amounts. It does not vanish, it sits in your kitchen for the next meal.
- Simple Truth Organic® Extra Virgin Olive Oil · about 440 ml left, $7.47 of value
- Simple Truth® Halves & Pieces Walnuts · about 195 g left, $4.58 of value
- Kroger® Whole Garlic Bulbs · about 4 left, $1.99 of value
- Barilla Gluten Free Elbows Non-GMO Project Certified Pasta · about 226 g left, $1.99 of value
- Kroger® Tender Baby Spinach Bag Salad · about 253 g left, $1.96 of value
- Kroger® Fresh Grape Tomatoes · about 133 g left, $1.41 of value
“Noah’s younger brother has serious health issues and making food that everyone can eat can be challenging,” says Noah’s mom, Hilary. “This recipe is gluten-free and vegan, things that many people often think mean sacrificing favorite comfort foods or flavor. It took us a while to create a pesto recipe that was tasty, super healthy, and easy to make. We finally created one that is packed with just about everything a growing body needs. Noah likes this with Red, White, and Blue Salad—strawberries, peeled and diced apples, and Maine blueberries, served with a glass of soy milk.”
- 1 pound quinoa pasta (we like macaroni)
- 2 units ripe avocados (pitted and flesh scooped out)
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves (plus a few leaves reserved for garnish)
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed, 15-ounce)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (cut in half)
This recipe is credited to a partner program (The Epicurious 2013 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Cookbook), so we don't reprint its directions - read them on the archived original.
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