Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta (Printable)

Delightful pasta with oven-roasted vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil pesto for a colorful main course.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
02 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
04 - 1 red onion, sliced
05 - 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Pasta

09 - 12 oz penne or fusilli pasta

→ Pesto

10 - 1/2 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade

→ Garnish

11 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
12 - Fresh basil leaves for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F
02 - Spread zucchini, bell peppers, and red onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly
03 - Roast vegetables for 20 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, toss gently, and roast for an additional 10 minutes until all vegetables are tender and lightly browned
04 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water
05 - In a large bowl, combine drained pasta, roasted vegetables with pan juices, and pesto. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency
06 - Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The vegetables get sweet and slightly charred in the oven, which tastes nothing like raw veggies and everything like comfort.
  • Pesto does all the heavy flavor lifting, so you skip the step of building complicated sauces.
  • It comes together in under an hour, which feels like a small miracle on a weeknight.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water—it's starchy and helps the pesto cling to everything instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of your bowl.
  • If you add the cherry tomatoes at the beginning, they'll collapse into nothing; adding them halfway means they stay whole enough to burst in your mouth instead.
03 -
  • Room temperature pesto tossed with hot pasta and vegetables melts into the dish more smoothly than cold pesto straight from the fridge.
  • Don't wash your basil right before blending it for pesto—let it air dry for a bit because moisture can turn it brown and oxidized.
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