This is one of my favorite meals ever. Seriously, I have to stop myself from taking seconds every time. Sooo good!
This pasta is full of flavor. Pesto, garlic, peppers, broccoli. Yum. Plus, it looks so pretty but is actually very easy to make.
I love the taste of fresh produce. The stars of this dish include red and yellow bell peppers, yellow onion, garlic, tomato, pine nuts, and pesto. I make my own pesto, but you can use store bought if you want to.
I love this with curly pasta. The shape is just so fun. Plus it is small enough that if you chop your veggies small enough you can get a bit of everything in each bite.
I got the idea for this pasta from my favorite dish at the Cheesecake Factory, Evelyn's Favorite Pasta. Mine is a bit different, but the same idea. Some pasta, pesto, and tons of fresh veggies!
Rough chop the peppers, onion, tomato, and garlic. Roast them in the oven at 425 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Take the veggies out when they are soft and flavorful.
Making pesto is very simple, but if you are feeling lazy or lack the ingredients, store bought pesto is okay too. Time isn't even an issue because you can make the pesto while the veggies are roasting, and also while the pasta is cooking, and the broccoli is steaming. Woohoo, we're multi-tasking.
Okay, time to make pesto. I use a bullet blender for this. I like using it for this because if I use my huge vitamix for such a small amount of pesto, I lose half of it scrapping it down the sides. In whatever blender (or food processor) you choose to use add a tablespoon of pine nuts, a tablespoon of parmesan, a bit of black pepper and sea salt each, a large handful of basil leaves, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Hit puree for several seconds until the pesto comes together and voila! Seriously, that's all there is to it.
Make the pasta while the veggies are roasting, drain, and toss with a bit of olive oil.
As soon as the pesto is ready, mix it all in with the pasta, then add the rest of the pine nuts.
Now stir in the roasted veggies, the steamed broccoli, and the olives. Done! This is delicious as is, but if you want to add a bit more protein feel free to add more pine nuts, some white beans, or some diced chicken.
Note: If you do add addition protein you might want to make more pesto so everything can still be well covered. An extra half pesto recipe would be perfect.
This recipe is great for a busy weeknight dinner or even a dinner party because it looks fancy and time consuming, plus tastes wonderful, but you can multi-task and make all the separate pieces of it in the time it takes to roast the veggies.
This reheats well too if you make a large batch. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and simply microwave.
The best part? Both kids wanted seconds!
pesto pasta with veggies
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 cups spiral pasta, uncooked
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp pine nuts, divided
- 1 large handful basil leaves
- 8 kalamata olives, halved
- 1 tbsp parmesan
- large pinch each salt and pepper
- 1 small head, chopped broccoli
Instructions
1. Rough chop the red and yellow bell peppers, onion, garlic, and tomato. Spread them evenly in a parchment lined lipped baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast at 425 degrees F for 35 minutes. They should be soft and fragrant.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain, put back into the pot, off heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. While the pasta is cooking. steam the broccoli and set aside.
3. If you are making your own pesto do it while the veggies and pasta are cooking. Using a blender or food processor add a tablespoon of pine nuts, the parmesan, a pinch of black pepper and salt each, the basil leaves, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree. Scoop out and mix into the cooked pasta. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, the steamed broccoli, the kalamata olives, and the roasted veggies. Stir together and serve.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, drain, put back into the pot, off heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. While the pasta is cooking. steam the broccoli and set aside.
3. If you are making your own pesto do it while the veggies and pasta are cooking. Using a blender or food processor add a tablespoon of pine nuts, the parmesan, a pinch of black pepper and salt each, the basil leaves, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree. Scoop out and mix into the cooked pasta. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, the steamed broccoli, the kalamata olives, and the roasted veggies. Stir together and serve.
Details
Prep time: Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 4-6 servings
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