This is the best veggie pesto pasta recipe! Full of flavour and easy to make this pesto pasta with veggies is made with pasta and pesto, and is filled with vegetables including zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes. This healthy dish is the perfect light meal that the whole family will love.
Why you will love this recipe:
- This is the best veggie pesto pasta! It has the most refreshing flavour and is a great pasta salad to serve during warm spring or summer months.
- This pesto pasta with veggies is so easy to make.
- It's the perfect dish for picnics, tailgates or barbecues.
- Vegetarian pesto pasta makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep.
- You can either use store-bought or homemade pesto for this recipe.
- This recipe can easily be made gluten free, dairy free, vegan, plant based and vegetarian.
- Turn this into vegetarian pesto pasta with protein by adding some tofu, chickpeas or beans.
- Add some cooked chicken to make this into pesto pasta with veggies and chicken
Key ingredients and substitutions:
- Pesto - you can use any type of pesto that you like for this recipe including store bought jar pesto or homemade pesto. Use a dairy free pesto recipe if you are dairy free, a vegan pesto if you are vegan or a vegetarian pesto if you are vegetarian.
- Pasta - you can use any type of pasta noodles that you like for this recipe including bowtie noodles, spiral noodles, penne noddles etc. To make it gluten free be sure to use gluten free noodles. To make this recipe paleo use grain free noodles.
- Veggies - the combination of cherry tomatoes, zucchini and bell peppers blends perfectly to give this pesto such a beautiful color and so much flavour. Feel free to change up the vegetables in this pasta dish to give it the flavour you prefer.
What is pesto?
Pesto is a a sauce that is made most commonly with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. It is usually served over pasta.
You can also find pesto recipes that are made with other, less common ingredients such as cashews, walnuts or pecans and other vegetables such as kale or spinach. There are also dairy free pesto recipes that are made without cheese and often use nutritional yeast instead.
You can find pesto in most grocery stores, and it usually comes in a jar that is found in the condiment section. If you prefer to make your own pesto it's actually quite easy to do and there are many different pesto recipes that you can try including dairy free and vegan options depending on your dietary needs.
How to make this recipe:
Step one:
First, cook the pasta noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Once they are cooked, drain them and set them aside.
Step two:
While the noodles are cooking, place a saucepan on the stove on low heat and add the avocado oil. Once the pot is heated, add the chopped zucchini and bell peppers. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables have the texture you prefer.
Step three:
Then transfer the cooked noodles and cooked vegetables to a large bowl.
Step four:
Now add the baby tomatoes and pesto and toss until the noodles and vegetables are evenly coated in the pesto. Then serve and enjoy!
Chef's tips:
- I recommend cooking the noodles until they are al dente. If you cook them too long you will get mushy noodles that won't hold together as well when you add the remaining ingredients.
Variations and add ins:
- Change up the flavour by using grilled vegetables to turn this into pesto pasta with grilled vegetables.
- To make this pesto pasta gluten free: use gluten free pasta noodles.
- To make this recipe dairy free: use a dairy free pesto.
- You can use any type of pasta noodles including bowtie noodles, penne noodles,
- Turn this into chicken pesto pasta with veggies by adding some cooked chicken or grilled chicken to this dish.
- To make this into vegan creamy pesto pasta use a vegan pesto sauce.
- Add some protein by adding some cooked tofu, chickpeas or other beans or lentils.
- To make this pesto pasta paleo: use grain free noodles.
How to store:
Store any leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions:
There are many ingredients that go well in pesto pasta including vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers and tomatoes as well as proteins like chicken, tuna, tofu or turkey.
How healthy pesto pasta is will depend on the exact ingredients used to make it but in general pesto pasta is a healthy type of pasta salad, especially if it's made with vegetables.
Pesto can be used in many different ways including as a pasta sauce, as a marinade, as a dip, as a salad dressing, and as a topping for sandwiches, burgers, paninis or wraps.
Pesto pasta can be served either warm or cold. If you want a warm pesto pasta you will need to heat the pesto ahead of time but if you want a cold pesto pasta salad you can leave the pesto cold or unheated.
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Veggie Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 cup pesto
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 2 bell peppers, chopped
- 1 cup baby tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions until they are al dente. Once they are cooked, drain them and set them aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, place a saucepan on the stove on low heat and add the avocado oil. Once the pot is heated, add the chopped zucchini and bell peppers. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables have the texture you prefer.
- Transfer the cooked noodles and cooked vegetables to a large bowl.
- Add the baby tomatoes and pesto and toss until the noodles and vegetables are evenly coated in the pesto. Then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
- Feel free to add different veggies to this pesto pasta.
- You can use any type of pesto that you like for this recipe.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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