Pesto Vegetable Pasta combines angel hair pasta with spiralized vegetables, and is topped with my homemade pesto sauce. A delicious meatless pasta recipe but with a super healthy twist.
I love me some pasta. Mix it with veggies and top it with pesto sauce. Hellooooooo dear delicious friend.
There are several things to love about this recipe.
- It has PASTA in it.
- My homemade basil pesto sauce makes another appearance.
- “Veggie noodles” make this recipe extra healthy.
- It is BEAUTIFUL to look at and delicious to eat. 😀
Ingredients needed for Pesto Vegetable Pasta:
- Pasta – Angel hair pasta, or use whatever you like best.
- Veggies – Carrots, zucchini squash, and yellow squash are needed.
- Sautéing ingredients – Olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Pesto Sauce – You’ll needed fresh basil leaves, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
To make this exact recipe, you will need a special tool, called a spiralizer . You can also just slice the veggies super thin if you prefer. Using a spiralizer is very easy and when I made this dish, I spiralized my veggies the day before. You’ll also need a food processor to make the pesto sauce.
Pesto Sauce is KEY.
One recipe of my homemade 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. Because sometimes I want something quick but healthy at the same time. For all you working parents, this advance preparation will make your lives so much easier.
The next time I make this, I’m going to add some chicken or another lean protein. You could also add even more veg and less pasta if you want. Or more pasta and less veg. You do you!
How to make Pesto Vegetable Pasta:
- Make the pesto sauce. In a food processor, combine basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper. Pulse, and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the sauce is well combined.
- Cook pasta. In a medium sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Then add angel hair pasta and a good amount of salt. Cool until al dente. Reserve about one cup of pasta water, and then strain the pasta.
- Sauté veggies. In another stock pot, sauté the veggies in olive oil. Add salt and pepper, and cook until veggies are softened to your liking. It usually takes me about 7-8 minutes.
- Serve. To serve, add pasta to a large bowl and top with the pesto sauce. Drizzle in pasta water and toss until the noodles are well coated. Add in the sautéed veggies, and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and extra pine nuts, if desired.
Pro Tips for some prep-ahead:
- Make the pesto sauce in advance, and store in refrigerator. I also keep some in freezer for last minute recipes.
- Spiralize the veggies in advance, and store in refrigerator.
Enjoy!
Try this pasta dish next: Lemon Orzo Pasta Salad
Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.
xoxo ~Sue
Pesto Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 10 oz. angel hair pasta
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large carrots – sliced thinly
- 2 large zucchini squash – spiralized
- 2 large yellow squash – spiralized
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
For the pesto sauce:
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts – toasted
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
For the pesto sauce:
- Pulse basil leaves, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and salt and pepper in food processor. Add olive oil gradually until fully combined. Set aside.
For the pasta:
- Boil angel hair pasta to al dente, with plenty of water and salt added. Reserve about one cup of pasta water, and then strain the angel hair. Mix the pasta with the pesto sauce, and add enough pasta water until well coated.
- Using spiralizer, spiralize the zucchini squash and yellow squash. Slice the carrots in thin slices (as it is difficult to spiralize them).
- Add olive oil to large sauce pan, heated to medium high heat. Add veggies and cook until slightly softened, approximately 7-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, place pesto pasta in bowls, along with some spiralized veggies. Top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese and extra pine nuts, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Pro tip #1: Make the pesto sauce in advance and store in refrigerator.
- Pro tip #2: Spiralize the veggies in advance and store in refrigerator.
- For best results, use my homemade pesto recipe.
- You can bulk up this recipe by using more spiralized veggies and less angel hair pasta.
- Be careful to avoid over-cooking the veggies.
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!