Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta
This Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta is a fresh and flavorful dish loaded with caramelized veggies, tender pasta, and our favorite basil pesto sauce. It’s a simple yet satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights or a light dinner!
Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
I love me some pasta. Mix it with veggies and top it with pesto sauce. Hello dear, delicious friend.
One recipe of my homemade basil pesto sauce coats these noodles and veggies nicely. It makes everything stick together and gives it a nice fresh flavor without overwhelming it.
Like I’ve mentioned before, I keep small containers of pesto sauce in my freezer for meals like this. Let’s be honest – sometimes we want something quick but healthy at the same time. For all you working parents, advance preparation will make your lives so much easier.
Feel free to load this one up with even more veggies than stated to boost the nutrients. We also like adding grilled chicken or shrimp for a more filling meal.
Why we LOVE this recipe:
- Flavor-packed – Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and adds a caramelized depth that pairs perfectly with herby pesto.
- Versatile – You can use any mix of seasonal vegetables or whatever’s in your fridge.
- Balanced meal – Between the pasta, veggies, and pesto, you get carbs, fiber, and healthy fats in one dish.
- Quick & easy – Roasting vegetables while the pasta boils makes it a weeknight-friendly recipe.
- Customizable – Works with store-bought or homemade pesto, and you can add chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas if you want protein.
Ingredients Used:
- Pasta – We used buccatini pasta, but any pasta will work fine. (Use what you like best!)
- Veggies – Red onion, zucchini squash, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes.
- Pesto Sauce – You’ll needed fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
- Other – Olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta:
Step 1
Make the pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine fresh basil, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic clove, and salt and pepper. Pulse, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the sauce is well combined.
Step 2
Roast veggies. On a large baking sheet, combine the chopped veggies – red onion, zucchini squash, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper – and stir to combine. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until softened (don’t overcook!). Set aside.
Step 3
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then add pasta and a good amount of salt. Reduce heat slightly (to a rolling simmer) and cook until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, and then strain the pasta.
Step 4
Combine ingredients. Add the pasta and veggies to a large serving bowl. Drizzle 3/4 of the the pesto sauce on top, along with two tablespoons of pasta water to start. Stir and then add additional pesto sauce and pasta water as needed.
Step 5
Serve. Serve pasta with extra parmesan cheese and some fresh basil.
Pro-tips for prep-ahead:
- Make the pesto sauce in advance and store in refrigerator. I also keep some in our freezer for last minute recipes.
- Clean and chop the veggies in advance and store in refrigerator.
- When ready to eat – simple boil pasta, roast veggies, and combine ingredients.
Recipe FAQs:
Roast softer veggies together and firmer ones together. Since this recipe uses softer ones, I roasted them together.
We rotate between using short pasta (like penne, rotini, or farfalle) and long pasta (like bucatini, spaghetti, or linguini). Use whatever you like best!
Yes, store-bought pesto works fine for convenience, but homemade pesto adds fresher, brighter flavor.
Reserve about ½ cup of pasta cooking water to toss with the pesto—it helps coat the noodles and keeps them silky.
Grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas are excellent additions if you want extra protein.
Other Pesto Recipes:
If there is one thing I make a lot of, it’s pesto recipes! Thanks to our large outdoor pesto plants (during the warmer months), I’m able to freeze it in small containers for all year long.
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
For the pesto sauce:
- 2 cups basil leaves – lightly packed
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese – freshly shredded
- 1/4 cup pine nuts – toasted
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
For the veggies:
- 1/2 medium red onion – chopped
- 1 medium zucchini squash – chopped
- 1 medium yellow squash – chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Other:
- 8-10 oz. bucatini pasta – with reserved pasta water
- parmesan cheese – to serve
Instructions
- Make the pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine fresh basil, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic clove, and salt and pepper. Pulse, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the sauce is well combined.2 cups basil leaves, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup pine nuts, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 cup olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Roast veggies. On a large baking sheet, combine the chopped veggies – red onion, zucchini squash, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper – and stir to combine. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven until softened (don’t overcook!). Set aside.1/2 medium red onion, 1 medium zucchini squash, 1 medium yellow squash, 2 cups cherry tomatoes, 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook pasta. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Then add pasta and a good amount of salt. Reduce heat slightly (to a rolling simmer) and cook until al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, and then strain the pasta.8-10 oz. bucatini pasta
- Combine ingredients. Add the pasta and veggies to a large serving bowl. Drizzle 3/4 of the the pesto sauce on top, along with two tablespoons of pasta water to start. Stir and then add additional pesto sauce and pasta water as needed.
- Serve. Serve pasta with extra parmesan cheese and some fresh basil. We also like adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or chickpeas for extra protein.parmesan cheese
Notes
- Make the pesto sauce in advance and store in refrigerator. I also keep some in our freezer for last minute recipes.
- Clean and chop the veggies in advance and store in refrigerator.
- When ready to eat – simple boil pasta, roast veggies, and combine ingredients.
Absolutely fabulous. We love the homemade pesto (the roasted pine nuts are a key ingredient). We added grilled chicken to make it a complete meal. We will be making this delicious pasta dish for guests.
So glad y’all enjoyed it, Big Papa!
So if I buy the pesto sauce how much do I use ?
I would start with one cup, maybe slightly more depending on your tastes. Good luck!
This recipe is the bomb. It tastes great every time! You rock!
Thank you!