Name: Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veggies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 8 ounces pasta of choice; 1 zucchini, ends removed and chopped into ½-inch chunks; 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, stem and seeds remove, chopped into ½ inch chunks; 1 small red onion, ends and peel removed, chopped into ½-inch chunks; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; ½ teaspoon fine salt; ¼ teaspoon ground pepper; 1.5 packed cups fresh basil leaves (large stems removed); 1/4 cup raw pine nuts; 1/4 small lemon, juiced; 2 large cloves garlic, peeled; 1/2 teaspoon fine salt; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (use good quality!)

Replace the same old weeknight pasta dinner with this vibrant and bold veggie pesto pasta! Use just one pan to roast a colorful medley of vegetables and take 5 minutes to whip up an insanely delicious basil pesto while the pasta cooks. This is my husband's favorite dinner yet it is so easy!

Pesto is definitely up there in terms of all-time sauces. It's fresh, flavorful and ready in minutes using just a food processor. And while it's often enjoyed more in the spring and summer when basil is more abundant, it's delicious any time of year!

Over the summer we've enjoyed this grilled veggie pesto pasta a few times, but with fall approaching and the kids returning back to school we are officially back in weeknight dinner mode.

So how do you make an easy weeknight meal for the whole family? This pesto pasta recipe is the answer!

The silky smooth pesto sauce is poured overtop warm and comforting veggies that have been roasted to perfection. Combine that with freshly cooked pasta and we have an easy gourmet meal that everyone will love, including the kids!

Close up shot of pesto pasta with roasted veggies in a white bowl.

Why You'll Love this Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta

Quick and easy - the ideal weeknight dinner
Bright, herby and bursting with flavor
Nutritious
Satisfying
Meal prep-friendly - prepare the veggies or pesto in advance (or both!)

Ingredients

There are three components to this recipe: vegetables, pesto and pasta. All three are super easy and you can prepare them concurrently. It's like they were all meant to be put together!

Veggies: I use zucchini, bell peppers (red, orange or yellow) and red onion. Each of these are chopped into ½-inch chunks to allow for even roasting. Season them with just olive oil, salt and pepper!

Pesto: For a classic basil pesto, you'll need fresh basil, pine nuts, lemon, fresh garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Any type of homemade pesto will work though, so feel free to experiment with variations like pistachio pesto or even hemp seed pesto!

Pasta: Use your pasta of choice. Being gluten-free, I typically use pasta made from rice, quinoa, chickpeas or red lentils. And choose your favorite shape - mine is definitely cellentani or fusilli because these will trap some pesto in every bite!

See the recipe card below for quantities.

How to Make Pesto Pasta with Roasted Veggies

I love the order of events with this easy recipe. I'll get the veggies in the oven first, then start the pasta. And while the pasta cooks (and the veggies roast), I can leisurely prepare the pesto and still have time to spare. Talk about a stress-free meal!

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prepare the veggies. Chop the zucchini, bell pepper and red onion into ½-inch chunks and place them in a large skillet (preferably cast iron). Drizzle olive oil overtop and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the veggies and spread into one even layer in the skillet.

A hand pouring olive oil over diced vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

Adding salt and pepper to diced vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

3. Roast the veggies. Place the skillet on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway. Proceed to the next step while the veggies roast.

Roasted vegetables in a cast iron skillet.

4. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package instructions. Proceed to next step while the pasta cooks.

Cellentani pasta in a mesh strainer with a white marble background.

5. Prepare the pesto. Place all pesto ingredients except the olive oil to the food processor and turn the motor on. Slowly stream in the olive oil while the motor is still running. Scrape down the sides as needed to blend further.

Pesto ingredients in a food processor with a white marble background.

Homemade pesto in a food processor with a white marble background.

6. Serve! Add pasta and roasted veggies to a bowl and then toss in the pesto. Feel free to garnish with red pepper flakes and/or fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Pesto, pasta and roasted veggies in a white bowl prior to being tossed together.

Tossing pesto and roasted veggies with pasta in a white bowl.

Pesto pasta with roasted veggies in a white bowl with a white marble background.

Recipe Tips

Don't overlap the veggies on the pan! Giving each veggie some space provides for the best results for roasting. Otherwise, they will steam a bit and get soggy. If your pan is too small, simply add a second pan. It's well worth it!

Add the pesto to the bowl, not the pot. Combining the pasta, roasted vegetables and pesto all in one pot to serve family-style is okay as long as the pot isn't hot. The heat will burn the pesto as well as change the flavor, consistency and color. Plus, serving the pesto separately allows for easy storage to use with other dishes!

Utensils lifting pesto pasta with roasted veggies out of a white bowl.

Recipe Variations

This recipe is pretty forgiving, meaning that you don't have to have the same exact ingredients. Feel free to use different veggies, pastas or homemade pesto sauces (store-bought pesto just isn't the same):

Fresh veggies: Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, yellow squash or Brussels Sprouts all work. Just make sure to cut them into even sizes for more even cooking. Cherry tomatoes will also work, but the juices tend to seep into the other veggies preventing them from caramelizing as much.
Pesto sauces: Not all pestos require basil! Try parsley arugula walnut pesto, kale pesto or parsley pea pesto if you feel like switching things up.
Pastas: Any kind of pasta will work. For gluten-free pasta, try brown rice pasta, chickpea pasta or lentil pasta for some extra protein!

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers of the pasta and veggies in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store the pesto in a separate airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Reheat the pasta and roasted veggies in the microwave or on the stovetop. For best results, save some of the pasta cooking water to rehydrate the pasta. Then toss in the cold pesto, which will quickly warm up from the heat of the pasta.

More Weeknight Pasta Dishes

A forkful of pesto pasta with roasted veggies.

I hope you enjoy this pesto veggie pasta! The fresh pesto and roasted vegetables add such great flavor and make for the perfect change of pace for weeknight meals. Please tag @eatingbyelaine with pics so I can see your amazing creations!