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Veggie Pesto Pasta
Veggie pesto pasta is so flavorful and easy to make. This healthy pesto primavera is ready in just 20 minutes and is great for dinner or lunch and can be served hot, cold or room temperature. This meatless meal is filling and a great use for summer produce.
Make the pesto by adding all the ingredients to a food processor and processing on high until thick and smooth (1-2 minutes, scrape down the sides if needed).
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Preheat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.
Chop the vegetables: cut the zucchini and yellow squash into 4 long pieces then chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the bell pepper and tomatoes into bite size pieces.
When the skillet is preheated, spray with olive oil or avocado oil and add the zucchini and squash. Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring regularly.
After 4-6 minutes, add the bell peppers and tomato the skillet with the zucchini and squash and cook 4-6 additional minutes. Turn off the skillet once the squash gets soft.
When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
Right before draining the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water.
Add the pasta, rinsed and drained chickpeas and pesto to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir well.
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the pasta. Stir well and add more of the pasta water if needed.
Test for seasoning and add any additional salt if needed.
Notes
Top tips
Use enough pesto – the star of this recipe is really the pesto, it’s what brings the flavor and makes it really delicious. Be sure you are using enough pesto that it is able to shine through all the veggies and pasta. I recommend using at least ¾ cup of pesto, but if you can get closer to 1 cup, that is ideal.
Use pesto that you really love – if you have a favorite store bought pesto or favorite pesto recipe, be sure to use that for this recipe, as the pesto really is the star!
Be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water before draining it. The starchy water helps to create a super creamy pesto sauce that sticks to the pasta easily.
I like to cut the zucchini and squash a little thicker for this recipe, but if you need them to cook even quicker, you can cut them a bit thinner.
If you don't have time to cook the veggies, I recommend using roasted red peppers, canned or jarred artichoke hearts (chopped), and fresh chopped tomatoes. Simply boil the pasta, reserve some of the water and add these chopped veggies along with the pesto to the pot after you drain the pasta. Stir well and add as much of the reserved pasta water as needed to create the sauce.
Save time by making the homemade pesto in advance (or using store bought) and chop the veggies in advance. You can store chopped vegetables in the fridge in a airtight container for up to 4 days.
Make this even more filling by adding in your favorite protein. You can use things like tofu or a second can of white beans for vegan/vegetarian meals or you can add chicken, shrimp, salmon or chicken sausages if you eat meat.
Make this pesto veggie pasta lower in carbs, replace the pasta with spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or hearts of palm pasta.
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover pesto vegetable pasta in the fridge in a well sealed container for up to 4 days. Note that the pesto will start to get darker in color the longer it sits. The color may change but the flavor will still be there. This is why I like to add baby spinach, as the color doesn’t change as quickly when you add it to the pesto.
You can enjoy the leftover veggie pesto pasta cold from the fridge (making it great for meal prep lunches), as room temperature or reheated (in the microwave 2-3 minutes or on the stove in a small skillet, covered over medium low heat with a tablespoon or two of water added).
Freezer: While you can freeze this pesto pasta for up to 3 months in a freezer safe bag or container, I don’t recommend it as written. The zucchini and yellow squash can get soggy when frozen and defrosted. If you know you will be freezing leftovers, use just bell peppers and tomatoes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
569
Fat
15
g
Carbohydrates
92
g
Fiber
11
g
Sugar
9
g
Protein
21
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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